


Whisper of the Witch

by StarlightQueen17



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: A mix of comedy and mild horror elements, Alternates between Wild & Wind's POV, Ancient curses, Blood, Brotherly Bonding, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fairy Hyrule, Found Family, Gen, Hyrule angst, Magic, Tarot Cards, Time is a badass, Twilight is a good brother, Warriors (Linked Universe) is a good leader, Wild (Linked Universe) Angst, Wild Has Issues, Wild is a witch, Witch AU, return to termina, spider monsters, spider witches, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2020-10-17 22:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20628623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightQueen17/pseuds/StarlightQueen17
Summary: Wild is always running from his past. Time is always haunted by his. Wind wants to enjoy life. Hyrule just wants to keep his. Everyone has their secrets, and when the Band of Links arrive in the land of Termina secrets have a way of coming out of the grave. As a Clock Town Festival descends into chaos due to an ancient curse, the group must split up to search for a witch to aid the town, but to do so Wild must confront a past he didn't know he had. Bonds of brotherhood and friendship will be tested as the heroes enter a world of witchcraft."It is a sign of struggle. Something  is tearing the foundations of the present apart. A painful and turbulent change is about to begin. Maybe a sign of a difficult trial?”“So basically an average day.”“Maybe the cards are telling you that you asked a stupid question.”





	1. Call of the Cards.

**Author's Note:**

> I started this as a little blurb in the live write on the LU Discord and it took hold of my brain. I'll be working on this for the Halloween season, so I hope you all enjoy this spooky little adventure. 
> 
> TW: if you have arachnophobia this may not be for you.

They woke up in Termina. Wild had only heard about the realm in the footnotes of legends, brief mentions in the tales of heroes. Only Time had been here before, and after taking one look at the crimson skies over Termina Field his face curdled into a sour look. The frown didn’t leave his face as they arrived at clock town. Time took one look at the city preparing for a festival of some sort and took a deep breath.

“Ah fuck it.” He made no effort in censorship. He looked up at the sky like he was waiting for something to fall out of it. “I’m not dealing with this again.”

“What, having fun for once?” Wind murmured, hungry eyes scanning the stalls and booths lining the city center. Their shields and armor glowed with the golden light of crystals adorning a tall pole in the center of town. Time and Twi ducked under purple and orange ribbons that covered the town like a web. Garlic and grilled meat filled their noses, and Wild heard several bellies growl as they walked through town. Children were running around with masks and painted faces, smiles on their lips and bags in their arms. Every corner had something knew pulling Wild in a new direction, demanding his attention. The town was alive and beautiful and glowing.

Wild could understand where Time was coming from. The world felt off. 

He couldn’t put it into words, but the world felt out of place. Or maybe they were out of place in it. The people in town seemed normal, until Wild watched them for longer than a minute. They walked a little too gracefully, smiled a little too wide. People are strange, this Wild knows to be the only universal truth worth believing. Maybe Clock Town had a little extra strange at its core. Still, strange didn’t mean bad, and he was considered strange by others too, so who was he to judge?

Time either didn’t notice Wind’s comments or didn’t care. He cut through the crowd like a knife, not bothering to look at anything but the nearest inn. The Golden Moon Inn was a whimsical place that did not deserve the dour mood Time dragged into it. The walls were done up in soft pastel blue with faux gold trim along each panel. Shelves full of brightly painted porcelain animals and busts of old city officials lined the hall. Wild took great care to avoid these, as each one looked expensive and he was a known klutz. Framed paintings of serious men and beautiful women decorated the wall. As the heroes marched in and made their way through a crowded lobby, full of tourists from lands Wild could only imagine, he was keen to take in the little inn and it’s peaceful atmosphere. In the back corner of the square lobby a Zora couple held hands and read separate books together. To the left of the entrance he could see a connected tea room with a Goron by the iron fireplace and a small family out to an early dinner, the little girl with them picked through the pile of candy. In the center of the lobby was an oval table with a vase full of Blue Roses, and on either end of it were two plush couches with silk pillows and polished wooden legs. Wild’s shoulders relaxed in the homey little Inn. He had never been in a place so colorful and refined. Wind spoke of having a grandmother, and though Wild never knew his (or had since forgotten) he imagined this is what a grandmother would like in her house. Not everyone was as enchanted by the inn, however. Time marched through the lobby on a warpath, heading straight to the front desk. He slammed down a silver rupee in front of a wide eyed clerk before the man could ask his name. 

“Four rooms. Two beds each. Send a pot of the strongest coffee you have to my room, please and thank you.” The clerk gave Time nine keys with shaking hands. Time’s voice grew deep and rough every so often, especially in battle. Wild shuddered as his leader spoke. All the boys gathered in the far end of the room, forming something like a lopsided circle as Time passed them out to the group without a word. Wild could see the way his jaw tightened and his eyes met no one else’s. Time fled to the stairs, a metallic _ clink clink _of armor filling the room. He didn’t say a word.

“Hang on Time!” Warriors called after him from across the room, “Are you just going to leave us right away? You’re the only one who's been here, what are we supposed to do?” Time paused on the staircase, glancing over his shoulder. Time’s face was half in shadow. 

“Have fun.” The old man said, the clinking of his armor growing softer and softer until he was gone. No one said a word or followed his lead. Not even Twilight. Just as the air began to grow heavy, Wind hopped onto a table in the center of the room. 

“You all heard the man! We haven’t been to a party all together before, so who's up for actually having a good time for once?” Wind had a smile on his face so big it almost looked painful. Wind always seemed to ooze light with every word he said, like it was so easy and effortless. People from the other end of the lobby looked to their little corner of the room, watching as Wind spoke. Wild couldn’t blame them, he couldn’t look away from the boy’s scheming either. 

“I’m in!” Four replied “Did you see all those kids with candy? I bet I could get more in an hour than you, Wind.” Wind rolled his eyes. 

“You’re not a child.” 

“Yeah," he grinned, "but they don’t know that.”

Slowly, a devilish smile made it's way to Wind's face. 

“Allright Four. Lets go.” Wind hopped off the table and grabbed a pillow off the couch, gutting it for its silk cover. They were going to have to pay for that. _ It really isn’t fair _ Wild thought, _ that I’m the one who gets yelled at for breaking things, and Wind does this! _

He threw the improvised bag over his shoulder and merely marched out the door grinning like a demon. Their youngest member could be terrifying at times. 

“Oh wait for me! I want to get some candy!” Hyrule bolted out from the group after them. Wild supposed he could pass as a tall child if he had a mask, but he’d be pushing it. Hyrule grabbed Legend as he walked past, “Want to come with Legend?”. Legend rolled his eyes, but Wild could see the bounce in his step as he followed. 

“Why not, someone has to keep you three from getting too crazy.” Wind ran out, the _ thump _of boots on wood echoing through the inn. Wild winced as a loud crash accompanied the quartet's departure. 

“Well if the shorty squad is going out, I’m hitting a pub!” Warriors said, standing from the couch with a flourish. He walked over to Sky, wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a blinding smile. “Care to join me?”

“Oh, uh, sure! I guess I can try…” Sky murmured as he dragged behind Warriors grip. Silence filled the room, his only other companion not even looking at him, just staring at where Time had been standing. 

“Do you want to talk to him?” Wild asked. Twilight shook his head.  
“He’ll deal with it in his way. Come on,” He nodded at the door “Lets go see what all the fuss is about.” 

Golden lights danced across the walls of the city, their color growing more vibrant as the sun set. Wild took a deep breath of the crisp air, savoring the light and electric feeling of the night. Even the air seemed cleaner and lighter than his own world. It wasn’t until he left his time that he realized the way his world felt heavier than the others. Like a weight had settled over every living thing kept them all pressed down. Every world felt different, some like Legend’s felt like a constant rush, Wind’s like the eye of a hurricane, but so far Termina had the best, most electric feeling. 

Wild relaxed a little more with each plate of food eaten (he was on plate five) and each booth visited (his favorite so far was the hair braider, he now sported a classic clock town twist with blue roses woven in it). While Wild walked a little lighter, Twilight walked with his shoulders tensed, he nibbled slowly at the world’s saddest shish-kabob. They sat down at a bench on the edge of town, just outside the light of the lanterns. Twilight looked over the city with a stone jaw and calm eyes, but Wild could guess where his focus was. 

“Is there a reason you’re not having fun with me? I must be worse company than I thought.” Twilight snapped his head back to Wild, as if he forgot he was there. Wild always considered Twilight to be, in his heart of hearts, a caring person. He worried about people even when it wasn’t necessary, often taking on the role of an older brother to the point that sometimes he forgot to let himself be young. Now, lying against the bench with the shadows draped across him, he seemed older than just his twenty five years. 

“You’re not bad company, I just don’t have much love for festivals. Not much that I want to do.” Wild rolled his eyes. 

“ This is my first festival. Not much time for celebration when the world is in ruins. So far I’m just doing whatever I want.”

“Yeah, which seems to be eating the town out of house and home. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look more terrified than the woman you ordered ten meat rolls from.” Wild pushed him on the shoulder. Twilight snorted, his laugh a little pig like. 

“ What can I say, I have simple pleasures. I bet I can find something that you’ll like though?” Wild stood and took Twilight by the hand, pulling him to his feet and towards the lights. Twilight stumbled along behind his protege. 

“Really, is that a bet? Some kind of quest you’re giving yourself?”

“Yes the very important quest of making you have a little fun.” Wild scanned through the shops and stalls as he dragged Twilight along, pointing at every stall along the way.  
“Face painting booth?” 

“I’m not twelve Wild.”

“What about this puppet show?”  
“Yeah, not my thing either.”

“Fire walking!”

“NO.”

Wild was beginning to give up on Twilight’s picky nature when he spotted a circular tent in the edge of the festival. It was a little purple booth with no one around it, most of the people in town didn’t spare it a glance. Next to it was a sign that read Tarot Reading. 

“Come on, over here.” He began to pull Twilight to the tent. “I have a feeling about this one.” Wild had only heard of tarot cards in folk stories around a stable campfire. It seemed like a fun, quick way to kill time. Twilight seemed interested in them, or at the very least wasn’t protesting. The inside was only big enough to hold him and Twilight, with a table made of twisted iron and glass in the center that Twilight almost tripped over. Wild squinted in the dim light of the crystal hanging in the center, looking for a sign of any other person.

Not a single sign of another person existed in the tent. Just a deck of cards sitting in the center of the table. Face down the cards seemed plain, simple black backs with a blue rose in the center. They were no bigger than playing cards, as only the gold trim of the cards, something that almost flashed in the light, caught Wild’s eye. _  
_

_These look very different than the ones Kass showed me. Can they really be the same?_ His hand drifted towards them with no thought of intention, and once he realized did not stop himself. Twilight gave Wild a cautious look as his fingers danced along the edge of the cards. 

“Should you be messing with that?” Wild shrugged, used to being at the whims of his impulses. 

“ I don’t know. You never complain when Legend and Hyrule break people’s pots, but I can’t play with cards?” Twilight started to speak but paused, deciding against it. Wild sat down, spreading the deck out like an arch. 

“So Twilight, do you want your fortune told?” Twilight rolled his eyes, but sat down opposite Wild. He may act annoyed but Wild could see his shoulders relax and his edges soften, his mind forgetting to worry for a moment. He looked from Wild to the cards, not with confusion but with a playful smile. 

“And how do I know you won’t just feed me a bunch of bullshit?” 

“You can’t, but that’s kind of the fun in it.” Twilight followed along as Wild touched each of the cards. A few months ago, before all the world hopping and mysteries, Kass had told him a story of how spinsters in mountain tops could use cards like these to speak with the universe itself. All one had to do was listen to what the cards had to say. 

“Okay so...If I remember how to do this, you close your eyes and ask a question. Not to me, just to yourself. You can say it in your head if you want.” Twilight closed his eyes did so. Something like a cool wind settled over them and Wild shivered. Twilight asked his question silently and Wild felt a little cheated out of knowing what he wanted to ask. He was left with nothing but the sound of breathing and heartbeats...not even the sound of the festival. Laughter, bells, even the sound of sizzling food seemed to grow faint. Distant. 

“Okay, next step?” Twilight’s voice jolted Wild back to the table. Twilight reached for the cards, trying to pull a few but Wild grabbed his hand before he could. 

“Not yet! Next you have to touch all the cards so they know you.”

“The cards need to know me?”

“Well they probably don’t need your tragic backstory, but I was told touching the cards before a pull helps them.” Twilight snorted but did as he was told, rubbing his fingers lightly over each card. 

“Now you can pull one.” Wild said as he was done. Wild didn’t know if Twilight believed in these cards, they certainly wouldn’t be the weirdest things any of them had seen, but Twilight took his time choosing each one. Twilight was just like that, so careful with each decision he made. Eventually three cards had been selected and put in a row. Twilight leaned forward with an expectant look on his face, the “excited puppy look” Wild dubbed it, and Wild simply leaned back in his seat. Neither moved. The long stretch of silence reminded Wild he actually didn’t know what he was doing.

_ You know, this probably won’t go well, but when have I let not knowing what I’m doing stop me. _Wild thought as he leaned forward and flipped the card on the left side. Wild’s eyes widened and the hair on the back of his neck prickled. Twilight tilted his head and looked from the card to Wild, eyebrows drawn in confusion. The cold feeling swept through the room and down Wild’s throat. Painted on the card’s face was a group of nine nine soldiers holding nine wands raised to a fire red sky. Nine soldiers with blond hair and no faces, the details inked out in black. 

“Do you know what it means?” Twilight asked. Wild wanted to say ‘no, I don’t know what any of this means.’ but snapping at people never gets you anywhere good in his experience. This is just for fun anyway, he could tell Twilight something silly that would make him smile. He could do that. Or…

“They’re preparing for something, a battle. It’s not a surprise and it’s what they’ve seen before but still they have to prepare. I don’t know why but the red in the sky and on the clothing makes me think of being trapped. It’s something they can’t escape.” Twilight nodded, eyes focused on Wild rather than the card. Wild didn’t know if he was right, but it’s what it felt like. 

“What did you ask it?” Twilight shrugged.  
“I asked what our purpose here was. If Time would be okay. This doesn’t seem like a good answer, does it?” Wild said nothing, and turned the next card over. This one didn’t seem to be much better. It reminded him of Sky’s stories of his home, of a city floating in the sky. Wild traced his hand over it, A tower covered in flames at the center of a crumbling island in the sky, the image of pure chaos. The flames on the card danced an wiggled and writhed, reveling in their destruction. Wild traced his hands over the tower and immediately pulled his hand back as a flicker of pain shot through his finger tips. The card read “The Tower.”

“What’s with you and touching the cards?” Twilight asked. He didn’t seem to notice the cards at all. 

“I don’t know. It just helps me think about them, what they might mean. Does this card seem more...alive to you?” Twilight looked from Wild to the cards, arms crossed in confusion. 

“No. Why did it speak to you?” Twilight was sincere as he ever was, no mocking in his voice as he picked up the card and inspected it. Normally Wild would say Twilight had a far keener sense of magic than he did, especially dark magic. That Twilight could pick it up and look it over with no problems should be a good thing. 

“Looks like a normal card to me. Do you know what it means though?” Wild nodded. Twilight knows what he’s talking about after all. So he went back to his job of trying to read them. Wild may not have an in depth knowledge of Tarot cards, but he didn’t need to be an expert to get the message. Especially when that message involved a literal burning fire.

“So the middle card is the present. It is a sign of struggle. Something is tearing the foundations of the present apart. A painful and turbulent change is about to begin. Maybe a sign of a difficult trial?” 

“So basically an average day.” 

“Maybe the cards are telling you that you asked a stupid question.” Twilight playfully kicked Wild’s legs under the table, which just sent them into a fit of giggles. For a while they were content to just be with each other’s laughter. 

“Okay, Next card then.” Wild flipped the final card. The picture was of a beautiful woman kneeling in front of a pond in prayer, three stars shining above her head. The title at the bottom read “The High Priestess”. Wild didn’t have to touch it to feel the pull of warmth in his chest and cheeks. _ It looks just like Zelda. _

“I think this one means everything will work out in the end.” 

“How do you know?” Twilight asked, his head against one arm, a soft look in his eyes. Wild may not be an expert card reader but Twilight’s worries had left his mind for a moment. That was enough of a skill. 

“The high priestess is safe. She’s a protector. I’m just going on instinct here.” Twilight shook his head and stood from the chair, running his hand through Wild’s hair, to the boys protest. 

“You seemed to take to these pretty well. Maybe you have a hidden talent?” Wild Yanked Twilight’s hand off his head, a broad grin on his face. If Twilight was one of those people who who showed they liked you through a rough touch, a trait Wild saw a lot on knights and fighters. Normally he would pull away from touch, but not Twilight’s. He thought about the question for a moment. He wouldn’t deny that there was a type of longing in him for these cards, he a pull towards the strange objects. 

“I like them. They’re unusual, maybe even magical. I wouldn’t mind having a set.” Wild said casually, putting the cards back into a neat pile.

“Come on,” Twilight said, pulling Wild up from the chair, “ You should practice this.” Twilight opened the tent and they stepped out into the city square, the sun almost down. It hadn't felt like that much time had passed. 

“You want me to take these?” Twilight shook his head in a clear ‘No’ and pulled Wild towards the shops. 

“No, but I’ll buy you some. There are probably more out there. Maybe we can ask Legend if he knows?” Wild looked back at the tent. They already had so much to do on the road, so much to worry about. Did they really have time for him to take up a hobby? the look on Twilight’s face, finally taking in the light of the city with a grin, chased any doubt from his mind.

“Do you think you can buy me chocolate crepes too?”

“Not a chance.” 

Wild grabbed Twilight’s arm and the two brothers made their way into the city.


	2. Adventures of the Shorty Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shorty Squad stumble upon an ancient evil while going trick-or-treating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and Kudos on the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this one, It's Wind's POV and it was fun as hell but hard to write. I hope I can keep being interesting. I welcome all feedback. 
> 
> TW: Spiders, seriously if you have arachnophobia maybe don't read this.

Wind was the type of hero who savored his victory and reveled in joy. Blame it on his nature as a pirate, but he got a satisfaction out of finding stuff and making it his, and getting the most stuff at the end of the day. Especially when that stuff is candy. Wind relaxed against a wall as he, Four, Hyrule, and Legend went through their impressive mountain of sweets and treats. Not that it mattered or anything, but Wind’s pile was a bit bigger than the others, and being the hero he is he didn’t even gloat about it. Legend had already dug into his treats, Hyrule had been organizing his for a few minutes now, while Four snacked as he tapped his fingers to the familiar sound of violins in the street. Surrounded by food, friends, and music, what more could a pirate need?

“Wind, do you want this fudge? It’s too sweet for me, but I’d be willing to trade you.” Hyrule leaned over from Wind’s left and held out a chocolate and nut filled lump in the shape of a keese. 

“Yeah sure, I can give you...” Wind rummaged through his pile, “Two strawberry pops for it?” 

“How bout one box of chocolate covered almonds?” Wind narrowed his eyes in mock frustration, matching Hyrule’s puppy dog eyes with a cat like smile. 

“You drive a hard bargain Hy. Is Legend teaching you to haggle?” He took the fudge and tossed Hyrule the box of nuts in return. 

“Not me, but it is a bad sign. Who knew he was capable of learning?” Legend shook his head as he took a bite out of a pumpkin custard tart, only half paying attention to the conversation. 

“I’ll have you know haggling is basically the only way you get anything in my world.” Hyrule muttered between bites of of his almond treats. It was all so normal, Wind thought. So much of their time together was spent fighting monsters and chasing the shadows. Before this he never knew Four loved fruit jams, and Hyrule liked bitter chocolate. Such simple facts aren’t as important as ‘where you were hurt the worst from battle?’, or ‘how many Moblins you can slice in half?’, but they made the picture of his friends a little more clear. It was nice to just relax.

“Hey, what do you guys think you’re doing over here?” But it can’t last forever. A boy with choppy red hair and purple shorts marched up to them, his face screwed up and pinched in a tight frown. Other boys trailed behind him, all attempting to look intimidating and failing, in Wind’s opinion. 

“This is our territory, meaning I’d clear out quick if you know what’s good for you.” 

“Oh please.” Legend said, standing to meet the boy. “Listen kid I know you’ve probably only been out of your mom’s house for about a week, but you don’t own a corner or a wall. No one does. It’s a wall. We were sitting here first, so go literally anywhere else and bother other people.” Wind popped a sucker in his mouth as he watched the boy’s face screwed up and flushed pink. 

“Just who the hell are you? I’m the leader of all the kids in town, and I ain’t never seen you guys here before. I’m already in a bad mood, so just…hold on a minute.” The boy stops and takes a few hurried steps towards Legend. Legend stands his ground. 

“Link? It that you?”

“Um. Yes?” Legend was instantly tackled by the boy in a hug. Before he could pull away the other kids swarmed around him too, all of them locking him in their sticky arms, and soon he was surrounded by children. Legend looked back at his friends, confused, and was met with equal confusion. The best Wind could offer was a shrug. Four mouthed ‘go with it’ between stifled giggles. 

“Why didn’t you say who you are in the first place!

“He’s a man of few words, always has been.” 

"Looks like he got rid of the dorky green hat!"  
  
"Hey! Don't listen to him Link. I liked your hat."

“Excuse me.” Hyrule stood as he spoke, “The three of us are Link’s cousins. Would you mind telling us who you are and how you know Link?” Wind nodded along with Hyrule. The boys probably did know ‘Link’ but they Link they knew was not present, and also an adult man in his mid thirties. It’s better to just go with it and hope they don't ask to many questions. Wind has done some of his best work with that motto. The boys separated themselves from Legend, their leader stepping forward to the three other Links. 

“We, and by extension your buddy Link here are part of the Bomber Boys Gang, the coolest group in clock town! Show ‘m boys!” What happened next was both surreal and confusing. One of the boys ran out from the group and struck a pose, a single finger pointing to the sky, his back turned to them with a large white B embroidered on his Jacket. 

“B!” He cried out. Wind looked at the others to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating and was met with equal levels of confusion. Another boy followed the same routine, only he screamed “O” with the matching letter on his back. This continued until all the boys had spelled out “BOMBER” with their clothing. Wind’s lollipop fell out of his mouth as his jaw hit the floor. This was a gang for children. A “gang” that had coordinated posing and spelled using their jackets. And since the only Link who had been to Termina was Time, it meant _ Time _was at one point part of this dorky “gang” of kids. Did Time ever make goofy poses? What letter did he have on his back? The slightest mental image of their stoic leader doing anything silly or fun was enough to almost break them all. It took every ounce of self-control for Wind not to laugh. He had to look away from the others, as Hyrule was also straining to control a smile and Four looked like he was losing his mind. 

“Wow that was…really cool.” Legend said as if he were dying. The leader didn’t seem to notice the sarcasm. 

“Thanks. It’s good to see you Link. You’re a real legend around here, the kid who got a sword and all. We can use all the friendly faces we can get right now.” One of the boys, a shorter and maybe younger member, ran up to Legend & the leader. 

“Terry, do you think Link can save Tommy?” Suddenly the humor seemed to bleed out of the air. 

“Is Tommy in trouble?” Hyrule asked. The leader boy wouldn’t make eye contact with any of them, his face growing paler than it already was. 

“A few days ago this Skulltula settled in our clubhouse. It was like a monster from outside, and it took Tommy. He doesn’t have any parents, and he sometimes gets on the wrong side of the law, so no one’s been looking for him. Except us. We stick up for our each other. Just nothing seems to hurt that thing at all.” All the boys grew tired as their leader talked. Not in the way one does when you need sleep, but in a way that was worn down. The bold boy’s face became mix of moist eyes and clenched fists. As long as Wind has known Legend he has resented the call of heroism, complained about both its life threatening dangers and minor inconveniences. Despite all his bitter bluster, Wind didn’t need to look at Legend’s face to know what decision he was about to make. No goddess has to force Legend into heroism, he rose to it naturally. Every one of them would do the same. 

“We can get him back, my cousins and I.” Legend’s voice was soft yet steady as a steel blade. He did not need to ask them to volunteer, they were on their feet before he even spoke. Terry shook his head. 

“Nah, this is personal business. We have to take care of this ourselves.” Legend shook his head.

“Well, I’m part of this group too. Where I go my family comes with me. So technically you’re getting help from another member and my underlings.” 

“You would really do that?” 

“In a heartbeat.” Wind, Hyrule, and Four all gathered around the young group. In the end the vacation hadn’t lasted long, but it was fun while it lasted. 

“Okay guys,” Wind said “Let’s get to hero work.” 

The secret hideout was hidden beneath the city, in the center of a winding sewer. Wind’s footsteps squelched against the slimy cobblestone walkways, nose curled in disgust at the scent of decay that filled the cavernous underground. Why would anyone make their base down here? Wind could understand wanting privacy from adults, he hid on a lookout tower all the time to get away from the village adults, but the further he went into the tunnel the more the cold, damp under ground felt like a throat swallowing him whole.

“Let’s hurry it up, I don’t want to stay down here any longer than necessary.” 

“Calm down Wind.” Legend said from in front of him. Legend stood at the front of the line, sword at his hip and a torch in his right hand. The flame made his disapproving glare a tad more ominous. “Not everyone had the good fortune to travel through an open ocean breeze. Sometimes you have to walk through the muck and just deal with it.” Legend may have a point but that doesn’t mean Wind had to like it. He decided to hold his nose and try to take in as little of the stench as possible. It didn’t help his churning stomach, but he carried on. The only sound that filled the air was heavy footsteps and the drips of water of the stone ceiling. 

“We should probably talk about what to do when we find this kid.” Hyrule said. Wind couldn’t see him from behind but he knew Hyrule well enough to know he wouldn't bring this up to fill the air. It was also something Wind didn’t want to think about. The implications of the mission are clear. 

“We get him out and get him back to his friends.” Four was the one to respond, all the way in the very back of the line. 

“You really think he’ll be presentable to anyone after a few days with a Skulltula? I’d rather not traumatize these kids anymore than this likely will.” 

“We don’t know he’s dead for certain. Only that he’s been down here. If we see a body we bring it up, but we should treat these kids with respect. You wouldn’t want to leave our bodies if it was one of us, right?” Out of the corner of his eyes Wind could see Hyrule shake his head. It wasn’t that Hyrule was cruel, but he, perhaps of all of them, was made to face the toughest choices. He was the one who had to survive truly alone, and as much as he was a kind soul Wind knew he had a bleak streak that ran through him like a river. Wind couldn’t blame him for reaching the worst case scenario.  
_Click, click, click. _A sound like nails on stone echoed through the halls. The heroes stopped, backs pressed against the wall. They held their breath as they listened for the sound. _Click, Click. _

It was coming from a room at the end of the hall. An open archway covered in some kind of veil. Wind drew his sword and moved on Legends signal. Wind and Legend clung to the left wall, crouched low. Four and Hyrule dashed to the other side of the archway. The best way to investigate a space like this is to keep close but separate. Close enough to communicate, but far enough apart that any attacker can only target one group. Wind peered over the corner and held his breath. The inside of the room was clearly a kid’s club house. Maps and painted pictures covered the walls, and sling shots with ammo were scattered across the ground. What little furniture there was had seen better days. The main desk was broken in half in the center of the room, chairs overturned and tossed away. Silvery strands of webbing covered everything. Webs streamed down from the ceiling and stuck to the walls, the back half of the room completely covered in it. It reminded Wind of the silk they used to wrap people in when they die. When one of his neighbors passed he was covered head to toe in silk and set out to sea, into death's embrace. Looking at this room it was almost as if death itself had already claimed it. 

“This isn’t like typical Skulltula work.” Four said, breathless. 

“Does anyone have eyes on the boy?” Leaning forward a few inches more Wind could see a bundle of silk near the ceiling. It was about his size, but had no movement not even the slightest twitch. 

“I think I see something that could be him.” Wind said to Legend, “He’s a way up though. We would need to climb up and get him.” And walking into a room full of spider web would cause trouble. Sending someone up to climb it would be a worse idea, even with back up. 

“I can be a distraction.” Four said, startling Legend somewhat. “Or at least, we can be. If I split, Legend could climb the wall in painting form. That way the spider won’t notice him and just focus on us.” Legend held Four’s gaze, weighing the option carefully. 

“You should have a back up. Wind, since you’re the best archer here, you stay with Four on the ground. Hyrule, you come with me. Stay close. I’ll cut the kid down and you catch him. As soon as Hyrule has the kid everyone retreats. Sound good?” Everyone nodded. _ For someone who doesn’t want to be a leader, he’s pretty good at it, _Wind thought. Four grabbed his sword and held it to his chest. A white light from the hilt spread over his entire body, and in an instant Four was split into, well, four. Red, Green, Vio, and Blue stood in a line in exactly that order, each with their own sword. 

“Ready?” Said Green.

“Set.” Said Blue.

“Go.” Said Vio.

“AHHHHHH!” Red said too. 

Red charged into the room, sword at the ready. The other four charged after him in perfect step. Wind forgot how odd it was watching the four of them fight. 

“See you guys on the other side.” Wind readied his bow and went in behind them. 

The four moved in perfect formation. Red and Blue cut a path through the silk for the rest to walk, something that would immediately alert the beast, but provide Green, Vio, and Wind enough room to move undetected. Wind readied his bow, hoping the monster would come to meet its fate quickly and be gone. A slow, almost annoyed clicking came from the ceiling, dozens of red eyes peered at them from above. 

Wind may be young, but he was considered a seasoned adventurer. It took a lot to shock him. The monster that carried itself down from the ceiling might be one of the few things he would add to that list as he felt his blood run cold and his breath left him. A massive, bulbous body crept along the webb on long spindly needle legs. Each leg was as long as a great sword and looked just as sharp, the clicking noise coming from it’s pincers gnashing together. The body was twice Wind’s length, probably as wide as three of him. It’s mostly white thorax covered in what looked like thin veins that pulsed like a beating heart. It looked down on the four as they charged into it's den with a smile in its eyes. 

It was a blur of chaos and motion. The four worked swiftly against the spider, swords raised and clashing against the bone hard limbs of the beast. Green was polished and precise, Red was graceful and swift, Blue was a force of pure strength, and Vio played shrewd and cunning. None of that mattered. For every stroke of the blade the skulltula blocked it with it’s limbs, almost as if it were intelligent. It saw through Vio’s feints and tricks, matched Blue blow for blow, Red’s speed could not break through the armor of its thorax, and Green’s technique was useless against it.

The Skulltula rose into it's web, dodging a perfectly timed attack from the four and sending them crashing into each other. Vio’s sword stuck in the ground, and as he struggled to pull it from the floor the spider lowered itself and swung a scythe of a claw at Vio’s head. Green parried the strike, pushing back against a leg almost twice his size. The Skulltula tilted its head like it was curious, slowly adding another leg and pressing down on Green, forcing him to one knee. 

“Leave them alone!” Blue took a running leap at it, sword raised over his head aimed at the eyes. With an ear splitting screech it reared up and grabbed Blue’s sword between it’s pincers. It thrashed wildly jerking Blue back and forth until it threw him across the room. Whatever this thing was, it was not a normal skulltula. It seemed a bit too clever, keeping its distance from the group and hanging above them on silk threads. That left them to try to slash at the legs. It treated their attempts to fight like this was a game for its amusement. 

_ Well if this is a game, then I don’t mind cheating. _Wind pulled a fire arrow from his pack. Normally firing one of these inside was a bad idea, but getting this thing out of the way was a bigger priority. 

Wind’s arrow burned through the webbing, just above the skulltula. The room was bathed in red as the flame swirled through the web. The skulltula tried to scramble up through the fire, but the flames ate away at its support until it crashed to the earth. With a thud the skulltula landed on it’s back, writhing wildly as the four descended on it. Green & Vio made quick work of the legs. They cut at the creatures joints, black goo seeping out as each deadly limb was torn out. The thrashing limbs whipping around on the floor as the skulltula screeched. Wind was glad these type of beasts didn’t roam the ocean often. 

“Finish the thing quickly!” Legend yelled from the rafters of the ceiling, carefully cutting away the web around the child. 

“Right.” The four answered as one, fusing together as they all raising their swords over the spider’s underbelly. The Skulltula turned its head away, like it knew what would happen next. As Wind took a few steps closer, he could see something like anticipation in those dark red eyes. Four thrust his dazzling sword through the spider’s heart, slicing through it again, and again, until the monster fell silent. A sticky bubbling black liquid oozing from its wounds.

The four sword was buried to the hilt in the beast, with a single Four standing above it. Black blood speckled his colorful patchwork tunic, a wide dopey grin on his face. It was all very heroic, they had the kid, the monster died, Wind could go back to his candy collection, all was right again. That’s what Wind should feel, but instead something cold and hollow settled in Wind. A clawing feeling of wrongness. Once on the ground, the skulltula didn’t try to fight back. It didn’t try to right itself, it didn’t try to defend, just lay there and let itself die. Why would any monster want to die?

“Alright, we got the boy.” Hyrule said as he held him over his shoulder, like a heavy sack. “He’s still breathing. We need to hurry though, he’s not in the best shape.” Legend popped out of the wall and helps set the child down. 

“Let’s get a little potion in him. It will better his odds of getting through the tunnel.” The others started to talk about potions, battle, a lot of topics Wind wasn’t paying attention to. His focus was on the skulltula body, how it didn’t fade away like most servants of evil did. How it continued to bleed a bitter smelling black across the floor. He thought for a moment if he listened he could hear a soft clicking from the body still.

Wind’s hands were inches from the black bile when the body of the skulltula convulsed the bloated torso contracting like a beating heart. Parts of the torso began to swell and strain against the hard outer shell, like grotesque bubbles. The others didn’t seem to notice. 

“Guys!”

The shell on the body broke away with a crack. Every head in the room was now focused on the writhing Skulltula body as white silk slid out of the sword wounds like a sickly and congealed blood. The clicking sound from before was back, but echoed a thousand times over. 

“We need to get out!”

From the throes of death a thousand spiders rose from the silk. Hyrule grabbed the boy and hauled him over his shoulder, all four of them running out of the room and through the tunnel. Like a living wave seething with rage or hunger the spider children surged after them, the shrill sound of their clicking smothering any screams.


	3. The Reborn Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild and Twilight look for Tarot cards and the shorty squad, but unfortunately for Wild trouble was finding them first...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments! I love hearing from people so feel free to chat! I hope to get the next chapter up in a week, but college is getting intense, so after the fourth chapter things might update at two week intervals. Hoping to get more going the closer we get to halloween, but we will carry this spooky story into new years if we must!

Wild appreciated Twilight's stubborn nature. Really, he did. His mentor would persist through cutting rain, and deafening wind to achieve his goals, he has literally clawed his way out of hell. A very respectable thing in Wild's opinion. Sometimes though, that determination can be a bit of a drag. Twilight had spent nearly half an hour trying to find a deck of cards. Not just any cards, special cards that told the future. Tarot cards. True, he was doing this for Wild's sake, because Wild said he wanted them as a joke, a whim, a fleeting fancy to some pretty objects. Twilight took it almost as a challenge. The first booth they went to didn't have any. The vendor showed them Hylian playing cards, decked in diamond and spades, and Sheikah Hanafuda with its boar, dear, butterfly print. No Tarot cards. Which to Wild meant to just get something else, move on. Easy. 

Twilight. Kept. Looking. 

It was kind and annoying in equal measure. Now they were at booth number five. The urge to run and do something, anything else was building in the back of his head, and it was beginning to hurt. Wild wonders if boredom headaches were a thing, because he’s probably got one. 

"No, no, the cards were called Tarot." Twilight explained to the woman at the stall, who looked just as bored as Wild felt. "They had paintings of towers and princesses-"

"Priestesses."

"Whatever, but they're like what was in that booth, over there." Twilight pointed to the tiny purple tent in at the end of the street. 

"Well were the cards being sold in that tent?"

"No."

"Then too bad. Here, you can buy a playing deck. Or perhaps a lovely mask. But not a tarot." Twilight's shoulders sagged, his arms crossed around his chest. 

"We don't need to get the Tarot deck. Let’s just get the regular cards and go." The vendor smiled at him, obviously agreeing with his plan of giving her money now, rather than walk in circles. Wild returned her smile. 

"No, I said I was going to do something and I meant it. Just because it’s a little hard doesn't mean you give up." Spoken like an honest, kind farmer boy who grew up to be a stalwart, legendary hero. Wild could never say something so...honest. He was a knight by technicality only, most of his memories being based around survival and exploring his beautifully dangerous world. It wouldn’t be unfair to say he was a bit of a rogue at this point, but in another life Twilight could be the real deal knight. Which technically was true because they're all the same person and several of them are knights. Too complicated, don't think about it.

“Twi, I don’t care about the cards as much as I care about you having a good time. Don’t let the fun you could be having pass you by.” Twilight gave him that look again. The look where Wild could tell Twilight didn’t know how to respond to him. His eyes would be so soft but his mouth was a thin line. It was like he didn’t understand why that mattered to him. Twilight thanked the woman for her time and walked away, Wild following at his heels. 

“Does doing this really matter to you? Twi, you can be doing anything right now, why waste time looking to buy me trinkets?” He huffed between words, trying to keep up with Twilight’s merciless pace. “ I mean, normally I’m in full support of you buying me things, but don’t give up doing what you want for me.” Twilight stopped and Wild almost crashed into him. Wild don’t know why but he expected Twilight to be mad at him. Maybe it was because he seemed so much like Time in that moment. Instead he was met with something far worse. Concern. 

“I’m not wasting my time on you Wild. I just want to do nice things for you. It’s not something un-enjoyable at all.” There was that look again. This time it came with a hot rush through Wild’s face and down his throat. Twilight’s gaze was kind, but Wild still felt his skin prickle under it. It made him feel like he was missing something or they were talking past each other. 

“If you’re sure. I just want you to have a good time.”

“I am. Hanging out with you is a good time. Besides, I like finding things. It’s neat.” Wild almost laughed at the sincerity of it all. He didn’t need reassuring, but he wouldn’t deny that it was nice to hear. Whatever got Twilight to lighten up, he would go with it. 

“If you want to turn this into a scavenger hunt, we could get the others involved? I can see which of you is the second best tracker.” Twilight rolled his eyes, but his lips tugged into a faint smile. 

“I’m sure Warriors & Sky are sloshed by now. Wind might be up for it and Legend might actually know something about these cards.” Knowing all the stuff Legend hordes, Wild wouldn’t be surprised if he had the card maker themself trapped in his house. 

“Speaking of, have you seen Legend? I haven’t seen him since he left the Inn.” 

“Don’t worry, he’s off with Wind, Hyrule, and Four.”

It took a minute for the exact implications of the shorty quartet loose in a new city to sink in. Twilight and Wild locked eyes in unison, mild worry giving way to pure terror. 

“Oh thrice bless it, he’s with Wind, Hyrule, and Four!” 

The combination of these four heroes somehow was always a magnet for trouble. All heroes are drawn to trouble to some extent, Wild has been told by several people he may be the most chaotic hero they’ve ever met. Those people haven’t dealt with the combined forces of Hyrule, Legend, Wind and Four. Some of the more memorable adventures involved the four of them infiltrating a gambling ring by stacking on top of each others shoulders and wearing long cloaks. They won the tournament (and the Rupee surplus the group needed) but they all had to flee town when the disguise failed. That’s not even mentioning the ghost incident. Most of the group could never look at whipped cream the same way. They must be found at all cost. 

They split up. Twilight decided to look in the west and north part of the city, where the most people giving out candy lived. Wild agreed to take the south of the city. Wild could hardly see anything as he cut through crowded streets. The sun had set on Clock Town, the only source of light coming from lanterns and crystals. People in masks and dark costumes didn’t make it any easier. Every turn of the corner held new people who would run into him, jostle him around, or wind up getting him facing the opposite direction. There was something about the cramped, stifling feeling of being in a crowd that put Wild on edge. It wasn’t so bad earlier, but things picked up and more people flooded the street, and he was caught in the middle of it all. Children ran around the square in make-up and masks, making everything even more difficult. He can’t just go up to every kid he sees and ask if they’re one of his companions, It would probably scare a lot of children and parents wary of travelers. After thirty minutes of looking Wild gripped his cloak tight around his body, trying to breath through the dizzying sounds and rush in his ears. If the goddesses truly smiled upon him he would not have this much trouble finding his own friends in a crowded party. 

He was about to go find Twilight and let the quartet go when a familiar pillowcase turned candy sack caught his eye. Standing in a corner near the archway to the garden was a boy with brown hair who was definitely not Wind, Legend, Hyrule, or Four. The boy plucked a candy from Winds bag, inspected it carefully, then popped it in his mouth. He didn’t move from that spot for fifteen minutes, standing with his back straight almost like he was guarding something. Something that could easily be connected to a trouble making bunch of heroes. Maybe the goddesses liked him after all.   
“Hey there!” Wild said in the cheery, slightly plastic tone that he reserved for children. “That looks a lot like a bag my little brother had earlier. It’s getting pretty late and I’m looking for him and his friends. You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you?” The kid just stared right through him, brown eyes wide and blank before nodding. 

“Oh yeah, I know him.” Children are so great, Wild thought. 

“Can you tell me where I can find him?”  
“Nope. Can’t say anything to adults. Sorry mister.” Actually, Children are the worst. 

“What, why? What if I need to see him for an important reason?” The kid just shook his head like he was exasperated with Wild. 

“Sorry. It’s the rules. No adults included in bomber business.” Wild didn’t want to know what that meant, but it was infuriating any way. _Calm down, _he thought, _there must be some way to get this kid to open up. He’s eight, you can definitely outsmart an eight year old. _Wild watched as the child went back to ignoring him, digging through the candy before popping a sucker in his mouth. An idea formed in Wild’s head. He gave a melodramatic sigh and turned away from the boy.   
“Well, it seems you’re way too tough for me. I can’t ask you to break protocol but now…” He pulled out his sheikah slate and in a flash of light a small strawberry and honey cake appeared in his hands. “Link won’t be around to get his cake. I suppose I could always give it to some other kid, probably one that’s really nice and helpful.” Out of the corner of his eye the boy’s eyes had gone wide, his mouth open so wide his sucker fell out. 

“You’re just gonna give away that cake?” Wild shook his head. 

“Only to someone I like. Someone helpful and kind…”

“Someone who helped you find your friends?” It was so easy Wild almost felt a little bad about getting this kid to spill. Still, the kid was getting a cake out of it, and he would find his companions before they flooded a house or something like that. A win-win situation. 

“Link and his friends went down to our clubhouse in the garden area to help rescue one of our members from a monster. You can talk to Terry, he’s the Bomber Boy leader. They basically forced him to let them help. Can I have that cake now.” Wild handed the boy his prize and set off to the garden. Maybe the shorty squad hadn't been off having fun all night, and they may not technically be safe, but helping some kids with a monster problem was no cause for worry.  _ It was kind of them,  _ Wild thought,  _ to give up one of their few nights of fun to do this. I would expect nothing less from such renowned heroes.  _ The worry from before faddes from Wild’s eyes, his steps a little lighter. 

The garden area of Clock Town was beautiful and almost completely deserted. Only a group of children in nearly identical clothing were there, all clustered around an entrance in the wall. One that was slightly taller than the others paced back and forth, clearly worried. 

“Excuse me!” All the children turned to him as he approached. “Do you happen to be the kids my brother, Link, was with earlier? I’m just here to make sure he and the others aren’t getting into trouble.” The leader, Terry, marched up to Wild with his fists balled up and his face red. The boy has more bags under his eyes than he did, which was never a good sign. 

“Get lost! This is official bomber boys business, no adults aloud. You shouldn’t even know where we are, unless you tortured the information out of one of our brave mem-” 

“I gave the kid near the square some cake and he told me.”

“Thrice dammit Clarence!” The other boys seemed to giggle at that. Terry turned on them with a sharp glare and most of them went stone faced. Wild couldn’t help but find it cute.   
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they can handle it. I’ll just wait here until they-” Wild was cut off by a deep rumbling sound and the ground trembling beneath his feat. It wasn’t strong enough to knock anyone over, nor was it the steady trembling of an earthquake. The earth and the wall of the entrance shook like a bomb going off, a blast, a shake, and a pause. Suddenly the worry began to gnaw at Wild’s stomach again, his heart already hammering. 

“I’m going after them!” Wild ran at the entrance, none of the kids daring to stop him. The crawl space that served as an entrance was cramped, dark, and tiny. He had to crowch to move through the sewer tunnels. The faint patter of feet against stone followed by another shockwave. In the distance he could see the outline of three people running his way. 

“Wind, Legend!” Wild ran towards them, hoping that was one of his friends and not something else. “Four! Hyrule! Are you guys okay?” 

“Wild?”  
“Don’t stand there idiot, get out of the sewer!” 

“Guys, it’s reforming again!” A high pitched buzzing of clicks that reminded Wild of the insect swarms in his world, but on a much larger scale. Four and Hyrule run by him, a wounded child between their shoulders, Legend not far behind. A wave of red eyes descended on Wind, bringing up the end of the group. With a flick of his wrist he pulled out his Wind Waker baton, and with expert swiftness he created a wall of wind. The magic held the force of a hurricane, stopping the swarm in its tracks and blowing it to bits. Wild’s skin prickled as thousands of tiny spiders fell through the air. 

“Don’t just stand there Wild!” Wind grabbed him by the writs and yanked him away, dashing through the cramped tunnel as best they could. 

“Okay, anyone want to explain what that is and why it’s chasing you?” 

“Don’t really know, don’t really care!” Legend yelled, voice ragged and rough. 

The clicking sound was growing again, louder and louder, building until Wild thought the sound would drown out his own beating heart. They came to the entrance with the spiders hot on their heels, Wind turning to blow them back with a magic gust. As the wind hit the swarm at full force most of the spiders were blown back, but this time...this time a part of the swarm saw it coming and moved from the floor and the walls to the ceiling. High above where Wind had aimed his gale. 

“Shit! Everyone out! Now!” Wind swore as he launched another attack, barely keeping the top swarm from Four as he climbed up the steep entrance and out of the sewer. Just as one part of the swarm was beaten back, the other half returned on the ground. Wild helped Hyrule lift the child up with him, then Legend, but Wind was too busy blasting both factions of spiders. The youngest hero cut down wave after wave, unmoving as he focused on his foe. Wind was the stubborn kind of boy who would fight all day and all night if given the chance, but even Wind can’t keep this up forever. 

“Wind, take my hand. We have to go up.” Wild took Wind by the shoulder to try to guide him away. He could feel Wind’s arm shaking from exhaustion or fear. He didn’t know for sure. 

“They’ll get at us.” 

“If we stay down here they will for sure. We have to go.” Wind sliced his baton through the air and sent out another wave before Wild pulled his friend to the entrance. The smell of earth and fresh air was like a beacon, and he crawled one towards it one foot at a time. He almost had a smile on his face when the  _ click, click  _ of the swarm was overwhelming again. 

“Wild, looks like our friends are back. I can’t use my baton from down here!” 

_ Why can’t we just have one nice day? Is that too much to ask? _

Now is not the time to dwell on the unfairness of life. Right now is the time to focus on keeping that life. Or at least the lives of his friends. Wild pulled Wind up in front of him and pushed him forward, shoving him towards the entrance. The swarm had caught up to Wild, he could feel them on his feet and his shoes, their legs like needles against his skin.  _ I’m not dying to a bunch of bugs.  _ He thought as he gripped the walls and leapt up and to the edge of the tunnel, slipping just out of the swarm’s grasp. Wild threw himself on to the ground, sucking the sweet clean air into his lungs and stretching out on the grass. Only Legend spoke, screaming at the boys to close the door to their entrance. He’d never seen Legend work with anyone so fast as to move the stone slab in front of the gate. 

“You know, I though if any of us I’d be the one to unleash an ancient underground evil, but I’m kinda happy you guys beat me to it.” Wild slowly sat up, chest heaving and fingers sore. Legend shook his head and collapsed on the ground. They were all tired or in shock, and even though this would be a problem to get the whole group involved, right now was just for soaking the knowledge of what happened. 

“Tommy!” The children cried, running up to Hyrule sitting to Wild’s left who was slowly cutting the child out of the silk casing. The boy was gaunt, his cheeks sunken and pale, but there was a steady up and down of his chest. He wasn’t dead yet. Wind stood next to Wild, the trembling in his shoulders still noticeable behind a brave face. 

“I think we’re going to need to ask Time about this.” _A_ _ nd he won’t be happy.  _ Time may not want to talk about his past, but he must know something about whatever is down there. 

“We’ll get the others and talk to him. I know where Twilight should be-” 

**Bang** The thunderous sound of rock grinding and braking halted Wild. The stone slab in front of the sewer entrance shuddered. The fleeting feeling of hope died in Wild's chest.

**Bang** and a crunch and the kids backed away from the wall, Hyrule in front of them with his magic stones in hand. Legend pulled out his fire rod, Wind readied his Baton, and Four fell into a defensive position. Wild gripped his slate and tried to calm the pounding of his heart. He stepped in front of the young boys, ready to shield them if need be. No matter what was coming, he would protect people, but was that all he can do? If it gets out what _can_ they do? fire a bomb? Kill it? They don’t know if they can kill it. Wild takes a breath of the sharp night air, watching as the only barrier between him and a new enemy that four heroes together couldn’t beat slowly crumbled.

**Bang, Bang, Crack. **

  
  



	4. The Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self sacrificing heroes do not mix well with spider swarms. Legend learns this the hard way. Also, a Motorcycle chase happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to have more fighting but it had so much going on already that it became more about the devastation and strategy of it all. I hope it is fun to read, It took a while to write. I'll have to switch to two week updates, but if I have time I can get done sooner. Also, if you aren't in the LU discord, hop on over! I do rough drafts of this in live writing. How are you guys enjoying the spooky month so far?

Wind was officially sick of these damn spiders. He clenched his hand around the Wind Waker baton until it stung. The wall holding back the swarm was cracking and straining under the force of the collective pushing against it. He took a deep breath, the sting of the night air tempering the nervous heat in his stomach. When he was first starting as a hero he used to be ashamed that his body would still fill with fear and worry before battle. What if he let civilians get hurt? What if he didn't make it through this? Those thoughts filled his head every time he went into battle. Now a few years out from his adventure, and a few years wiser, he knew how to take that nervous energy, hold it tight, and use it as a driving force. 

_ I will not let these people get hurt! _

he thought as the stone wall cracked open.

_ I will make it through this alive! _

he thought as the swarm came spilling out.

With a well practiced swish and a flourish he twirled his wand and summoned a gale of wind, scattering the tiny monsters across the wall, halting them in place. 

"Anyone want to help out or am I doing all the work tonight?" Wind yelled to the others, trying to hide the wince in his voice. He can’t keep doing this. It’s not what the Wind Waker was for, and he would have to press down on the spiders in a constant barrage of gale force winds to keep them at bay. As stubborn as wind was, he didn’t think he could do this all night. 

"I think I have something that might help." Legend said, a vicious grin on his face and a bitter glint in his eye. He held aloft a white rod with large, round ruby on the end. His fire rod. Legend pointed the rod at the swarm and focused hair standing on end as the power surged from the rod and through Legend’s body. A bright pulse of red light came from the glittering orb and a cone of flame engulfed the spiders. The whole garden was washed in the light of the flames, Wind backing away as the heat licked at his face with a sting. The spiders had nowhere to go, no time to run. Wind had never set fire to a large amount of insects, but he could tell these were not dying the way a bug should die. For starters they didn’t peacefully curl in on themselves and die. They writhed on the wall as they all but melted in the flame. Wind curled his nose as the bitter tar and sulfur smell came from the swarm, the clicks and screech of the spiders filling the night as the pitch black mess of remains splattered and dribbled down the wall. 

"Why didn't you use that before?" Wind gripped. Legend didn't meet his eyes, gaze fixed on the swarm. 

"Because I don't like to burn with my enemies." The black bile of the swarm had run down the wall and turned into a puddle on the grass. No more spiders seemed to be coming up from the sewer, though Legend kept his blaze burning strong despite the way his arm began to shake. Legend decided this fight was over and when he did, he had the tools to make it so. Nothing could survive the onslaught of Legend’s tools and items. They were far to powerful. But they took something out of him to use, and like Wind’s baton he can’t do it forever. Who knows if the fire rod will work at all after this?

Legend halted his inferno, the flame pittering out to a flicker of light and a gust of warm air, leaving them in the dark or the night. Everyone waited in silence, the distant ambiance of the festival the only noise. 

“What...what was that?” One of the children by Wild’s side asked. 

“I’m getting sick of that question. I’m not a walking encyclopedia of monster facts, but I’m willing to bet our old friend has a clue-ah!” Legend fell to a knee, face twisting in pain as he swatted at something on his leg. His hand came away with black goop. The clicking sound of mandibles started again, echoing through the courtyard and through the grass. The messy remains began to bubble and steam, like the corpse of the original monster, and from it rose more and more spiders, almost double the number as before. 

"Shit." Wind saw the spiders coming for him next. He ran back to Wild’s side, swinging his Wind Waker down like a blade as a faint gust of air blew them away from him. It hurt, the last blow of wind made his legs shake and the world fell back before Wild caught him, pulling him onto his back. His bones might as well have been lead. He must have used the baton to much…

“Stay up. They’re not attacking. Yet.” The Spider swarm filled the grass and up onto the courtyard walls, gathering their number. They stacked on top of each other, trying to form something, but not quite able to make it stable. 

“They’re...intelligent.” Wild closed his eyes and shook his head, his long braid brushing against Wind’s face . 

"Guys, We need to get out or we're going to be overwhelmed!" Hyrule yelled, already opening a pot of his fairy magic stones and running to Four’s side. Wild nodded and pulled out the slate of his, dragging the bomber boys gang further back as the spiders filled the grass. With the press of a button a flash of blue light fell from the slate like drops of rain, each twisting on the grass until the familiar roar of Wild’s mechanical beast, Vah Epona, drowned out the sound of clicking. Normally Wind didn't trust that thing, but it was fast and can't be bitten so it would do. The Spiders backed away from the machine, clearing a path from in front of wear it sat as if it too might belch fire and wind. As the spiders backed away Legend scrambled backwards like a crab, eyes watching the swarm and body braced for an attack. Wind tightened his hold on Wild’s shoulders as the swarm waited, and grew, and watched them. Wild ran his hand through Wind’s hair. 

“Is this a trap? Or do you think they’re waiting for us to move first?” Wind shivered at Wild’s voice, the warmth that had been there moments before sucked dry.

“I don’t know. Normally I’d stay and fight, keep them here and away from town, but with the kids...” Legend said through gritted teeth, grabbing the motorcycle and leaning against it to stand. He was right, they can’t fight with a group of children, and sending them off on their own was like sending chum into shark infested waters. 

The swarm made their choice for them. It broke apart from the massive horde on the wall and surged towards them. Wind baton but his arms were like lead, his body just not listening to him. He closed his eyes, ready to face the sting of bites and needle legs, daring them to attack. Nothing came. The spiders moved past them, going around them and considerably out of range. Wind had suffered many indignities, he never considered himself to be prideful,but being ignored by bugs as not worth attacking? That was a new low. 

“We have to go after them!” Wild shouted as he climbed on to his mechanical beast, pulling Wind, Legend, and the boys with him. 

“Hyrule, Four, get on!” The duo were separated from them, both having stood closer to the wall, and now a sea of spiders confined them to a corner of the garden. 

“No need!” Four grasped Hyrule’s hand as Hyrule grabbed a magic token from his pouch and crushed it in his hands. The silver dust sank into his skin. Four began to shrink, as Hyruel glowed a rosey pink, fairy wings sprouting from his back and his eyes turned from brown to pale silver. Hyrule lifted into the air, a mouse sized Four in his palm as he nodded towards them and shot off into the night, a streak of glitter and pink light. 

“Show off.” Wind muttered as Wild twisted the handles of his machine and it roared through the night.

The festival in Clock Town was still going strong when the swarm descended on it. Central clock town was still filled with the sweet sound of strings and bold drums. Laughter from families, friends, and children were so distinctly full of joy and wonder that is was like a blow to the chest to hear it turn to screams of terror and cries for help. The spiders hadn't covered the whole town, but they crawled along the walls and onto decorations hanging down over the crowds. The paper decorations and hanging lanterns were practically bridges for them, helping them weave webs and cross the square almost as fast as they could ride through it. A few spiders dropped onto people. Some people were lucky and the spiders merely roamed their bodies, as if they were searching for something, then leaving to rejoin the group. Others collapsed from a bite, tears running down their face as they grabbed, smacked, and scratched at the bite mark. They moved in groups through the city, like battalions, and suddenly Wind wanted Warriors with him.Wind gripped Wild around the stomach as he made sharp turns and swerves that should have been impossible on such a machine, but Wind had long given up on wondering how Wild could use this technology so naturally. Wind heard the screams from civilians as they rushed past them, plowing through a small horde of intelligent and immortal monsters. As Wind watched the Spiders maneuver through the streets, Intelligent was the only way to describe it. They moved up walls and trees and buildings, avoiding the street and the stampede of crushing feet running through it. 

"We need to get these kids inside and find the others!" Legend shouted from behind Wind, riding on the very back of the machine. His Fire Rod in his left hand spewing balls of flame at any spiders that got to close. Frustration at such a futile act being their only means of defense showed in the stress lines of his face and in the dullness in the corner of his eyes. His head against Wind’s back was hot, something he couldn’t hide if he wanted to. It’s not just the kids they need to get to safety, they needed a place to treat Legend, no matter how much Legend refuses to consider his own well being. Wind wondered, not for the first time, if the hero's spirit made everyone with it hopelessly self sacrificing. If so this seemed like a terrible design flaw, and some cosmic entity or magic goddess should fix that for the next hero that wades into danger. 

"Does the inn count as a safe place to drop of the Kids?" Wind had to strain to hear Wild's soft voice over the rush of wind in his ears. 

"Yes! Especially if we can get to Time!" 

"Sounds like a plan!" They turned through the narrow cobblestone streets, riding from the town square to the area lined with shops and hotels, now either damaged or with the doors and Windows kept shut. A few people bangged on the door, pleading for entrance, but no one showed signs of opening soon. Not with a horde of Spiders moving through the center of the street. Wild pressed down on the handles of the machine harder and turned the Cycle until it was almost sideways and driving along the walls. Drifting, he called it once. It made WInd's ears ring and the blood in his body fill his head. He suddenly regretted eating all those sweets earlier. .

"What are you doing?!" Legend shouted one hand holding on to his hat as they shot hard and fast along the wall and down through the street. 

"Going to the Inn" Wild maneuvered through the crowds of people and and broken stalls with ease. Wind remembered why he hated riding this thing. The world was a blur of chaos, people running , screaming, and Spiders dropping from the sky. Everything moved so fast that Wind had no idea if people were hurt, or worse, or where the other heroes were. It was like being caught in a hurricane, except at least a hurricane has an island of calm in it. Wild’s mechanical beast was both dangerous and unnatural, and if Wild didn’t get them there soon he might take his chances on foot. 

"There!" Wild took another harsh turn. Wind peeked over his shoulder, and saw the Inn on the other side of a long stretch, but Wild wasn't heading straight towards it. 

"What are you doing, it's that way!" 

"were taking an alternate route!" He sped up going towards an overturned wagon that was angled…

"Oh No. 

"Oh Yes!" 

"Wild Please!" 

He drove up the wagon, wind whipping them all and roar of the machine's motorized heart loud as thunder as the Master Cycle launched itself into the air and over the City.

"Hold on to me!" Wild yelled, as if Wind weren't holding on to him like he wasn't the only thing between possible safety and plunging into a crowd of spiders. Legend squished Wind into Wild's back as he put his arm around Wild's neck, either to get a good grip or to strangle him for doing something so stupid. The Kids gripped Wild from the front, all of them screaming and at least one crying. A cold, bubbly sensation filled Wind’s stomach as the hand of gravity pulled them down, and Wind sincerely wished he had walked. As the cycle started to plummet towards the earth Wild kicked it down, pushing them higher up for a brief moment. They were in the air for a second before Wild pulled out his paraglider and angled himself to the Inn. 

"What are you doing?!" 

"Trust me!"

The Paraglider approached the Inn quickly, dragged down by the extra weight of three children, and two heroes on Wild's back. They weren't going to land on the roof, not unless Wild had suddenly gotten his champion abilities back. Wild used to tell stories of a time he could summon winds to fly and lightning to strike down his foes, and even had the love of a Zora princess to bring him back from the brink of death. Now that his quest to defeat Ganon was over and his beloved friends could rest in peace he had no extra abilities to speak of. If he was testing to see if his friends on the other side were willing to help him out of a pinch, plummeting to the ground with a bunch of children seemed like a bad time. 

"Everyone, brace for Impact!" Wild shouted. They were still too high up for the ground, but they were looking a Window dead in the eye. Oh goddess he wasn't going to... "Hey Time! Open up!” They hurtled towards the window and Wind braced himself for the crash of glass and the sting of a bad fall, but just as they were about to strike it, the window flew open and they fell through, collapsing on the soft carpet of a hotel room. 

"You are a danger to yourself, and society. I hope you know that Wild." Time said. He stood in his full plate armor, claymore on his back and his arms crossed. The dim lighting of the room covered the left half of the face in shadows, and left everything a cold color. Time looked deadly serious, his eye as steely and unreadable as ever, but as he stepped towards them the old man stared down on the pile on the floor with a mix of amusement and worry. 

"Missed you too Time." Time was dressed from head to toe in his classic armor. Rather than the shining gleam it normally had in the sunlight, it was swathed with the shadows of the darkened hotel room. He pulled Wild up from the pile, and Wind scramble dup after him, the bomber boys frozen in place and staring up at Time with open mouths. Their eyes flickered from Time to Legend and back again, The leader starting to put a few things in place

“You brought children?” Time whispered to Wild, who only nodded in response and wouldn’t meet the man’s gaze. Time turned to the children, a faint smile on his lips that looked more sad than his usual frown. "It's been a long time boys. I'm guessing two years since you met a boy in green?" Time's gentler than he had ever been around any of them. Wind was hoping for a reunion to be met with silly questions and a chance to razz their leader, to celebrate meeting his old friends. Now Wind felt like he shouldn’t be here, should leave and let Time have one more heartache .

"Yeah. You’re...magic then?" Time shook his head. 

“I’m afraid we’ll have to explain another time. Get up to the attic upstairs. Most of the hotel staff and guests are up there. If anything comes in, scream and one of us will come get you. We'll catch up later." . These kid knew Time. They listened to him speak without question, simply accepting that this old man was a friend from just two years ago, and shuffled out the door, the leader giving Time, Wind, Legend, and Wild an appraising look that lingered before rubbing his eyes and closing the door. 

"So," Time said as he looked out the window at the chaos below "Which of you started this?" 

“You know," Legend said, standing next to Time’s dresser, leaning against it almost. "We were hoping to ask you some questions about this. Wind and I went to save a kid, next thing you know we have the world's worst bug infestation."

"Spiders are arachnids" Wild murmured 

" _ Whatever _ ! They're currently tearing up the city and biting everyone in sight. This is not any monster I've ever seen-Ah!" Legend collapsed where he stood, hand going to bite on his knee. 

"Legend, are you okay?" Legend took a deep breath, wincing a bit as the air filled his lungs. He looked like all the energy and life had been sucked out of him. 

"Just peachy." Legend spoke slowly. His face was pinker than it was before, sweat dripping down his face and neck. One leg was pulled up towards him, his hands covering bare skin. His shoulders heaved up and down with every haggard breath, his hand pressing down into his skin so much that Wind suspected he would leave a bruise. 

“It’s the bite isn’t it?” Wind took a cautious step forward, not wanting to get to close in case legend lashed out. Wind knew his friend would never hurt him, but he was also hurt and affected by a bite from a creature they had never seen before. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, his grandmother would say. 

“He was bit? Get him on to the bed, we need to look at the wound.” Legend pressed against the wall before anyone could move towards him. 

“Don’t speak for me Time. You may be a leader but you don’t order me to do shit.” Legend bristled with every word. Time put his hands up and splayed them open, a sign of peace and no intent to force anything. 

“Legend, we don’t know what that thing is doing. The bite could be venomous, or worse. We just need to look at it.” Time took a step with every slow, deliberate word. Legend didn’t back away or even blink as Time eventually lifted his hand to reveal the bite. Wind grimaced at the site of it, the skin around the bite mark swollen and stained a blistering red, the veins running down his leg were raised and throbbing black. 

“You gonna cut it off? The leg? Or do you know what this shit is and how to fix it?” Legend slid down the wall until he swayed forward, Time catching him before he hits the ground. Legend shivered against Time’s armor and it was the first time Wind had ever seen him so small, so vulnerable. “What is this Time? What’s happening?” The words shook as Time set Legend down on the bed in the center of the room, holding his hand as he kept an infuriating calm. His gaze was turned to the window, and into the chaos beyond. 

Normally Wind would find that pretty rude, but Wind had come to accept that Time didn't need to look at you to listen. He could be fighting an army of Lizalfos and still make be able to hold a conversation and answer any questions, give you a solution. Wind hopped that that's what his silence meant. That he had a strategy. Instead he turned and said the worst possible thing he could say. 

"I don't know." 

Something in the room broke with those words. The fragile calm crumbled and suddenly the room was full of screaming questions.

“You don’t know? How do you not know? You’re the one whose been here before, you just fucking missed the spider swarm under the city?” 

“I wasn’t exactly here to explore. Termina is a world of dangerous secrets and I do not claim to know all of them.”

“So what Im I gonna do? Just fucking die?” The word die hit Wind like a blow. No one is gonna die, nothing Hylian any way. 

“Guys, let’s just focus on the monster. Maybe if we kill the monster we can stop the disease?” 

“That won’t help.” Wild stepped forward from the corner, his voice that usual icey whisper of his that only comes out when he’s scared or troubled. Wind would rather have the maniac who drove them off a ramp than Moody Wild. He advanced on legend like a wraith, a knife in hand, and before Time or Wind could grab his hand back, he pressed the flat side down on to the bite. Legend gripped the blankets as Wild scraped at the wound, a black ooze bubbling out of the skin and onto the dagger. The metal and the ooze met and the knife almost seemed to glow. 

“This isn’t venom, its something magical. It reminds me almost of malice...but different. It’s not of Ganon.” Legend seemed more annoyed than relieved at that, his face scrunched together like an angry cat. Wind would laugh if the situation wasn’t life or death. 

“What does that mean? How do you know that from the knife?”

“I live in a corrupted world with a few hundred people. I know a little bit about figuring out what’s killing you.” Wild paused for a moment before looking at all their faces, which must have been a mix of shock and horror. “Not that your dying! I honestly don’t know what it is, but it reminds me of something from home. I don’t know how well it will work...but fairy tonic can lessen Malice somewhat. If you want it.” Legend stared up at the ceiling, eyes blank and so still Wind worried he really had...but then he swung his legs over the bed and stood. On shaking legs he took step after limping step towards Wild, his bitten leg hitting the ground with a thump. He stood in front of Wild and held out a hand. Wild summoned a tall oink vial with little fairy wings on the back and handed it to Legend, who bit of the cork with his teeth and swallowed the sparkling pink liquid in one long swallow. The bottle fell to the floor with a  _ clink. _

“That wasn’t made of fairies was it?” 

“No. They just bless the medicine.” Legend gave a curt nod. The color in his cheeks came back and he stood a little sturdier, but the bite only faded slightly in color. 

“It will do for now. So if we don’t know what these things are then what do we do with them?” Wind turned to Time, waiting for him to say something. Time didn’t know any more than they did, but old habits are hard to get rid of. Time stepped forward, the weight of the world back on his shoulders.

"whatever this is, we have to work to contain it rather than kill it, and keep as many people out of the way as possible. Wild, I want you to take your cycle and get as many people as you can back here. If any one is bitten, give them any remaining fairy tonic you have. Legend, You stay here and guard the civilians. Wind, get to the roof and keep up your arrows to help with range. Keep the Spiders contained to a single place. Twilight, Sky, and Warrior perched up on a roof opposite us and have been using rods and sword blasts to try to push it back. We're going to help them. Where are Hyrule and Four?" 

"Last I shaw them Four went into Minish mode and Hyrule carried him in fairy form. I don't know where they are." Time barely gave it a reply, motioning for Wind to follow him as he went to the windowsill. Time has said Termina was full of mystery and danger, and sometimes, when Time thought no one was looking as he waded into battle, Wind thought maybe a little of Termina lived in him. Wind heard Wild’s soft footsteps out the hotel door as he and Time climbed up the balcony and onto the roof of the Inn. Time marched on, but Wind couldn’t help but look back. Legend stood on the balcony with the ice rod in his left hand, and leaned against the railing with his right. He stood strong and proud as Time, Wind, and Wild left him wounded and alone in a dark hotel room surrounded by chaos.

  
  



	5. Survive until Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild meets at the mayor of clock town, who may know more about him than he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is late. My awful Geology class made me climb a mountain for homework this weekend so it was mostly a cycle of work and recovery. I'm not a geologist, I'm a literature and social science student so you can imagine I was also confused. 
> 
> Thank you so so much for all the views, comments, kudos and bookmarks! It makes my day a little better every time I get a message that someone leaves a kudos or comment, but even if you just lurk and enjoy quietly, Thank you for everything. 
> 
> This is turning out much longer than I thought. I hope to update before Halloween, unless things get intense. Then Halloween will be a year round affair. 
> 
> on to the story!

Hours had passed since Wild left the hotel. It feels more like days. Maybe it was and he just couldn’t tell due to the lack of windows in the basement of the town hall. He hauled in all the people he could find down to the basement here, it’s ancient walls thick and sealed shut to preserve the towering book cases of records and files kept below. He had roamed the streets on the Master-Cycle Zero finding every person willing to go with him, usually the young, the old, and the injured, until there was no one left to find. Some he assumed had taken refuge on their own. There was nothing left but a screeching swarm shredding through wooden booths and eventually he realized he could do more down below than up above. It was not a battle that could be won with swords and arrows.

Time could summon the flame of Din’s fire and clear a wide range of the swarm, Wind had his gusts, and Warrior was practically made to take out large swaths of people (or arachnids in this case) with ease.

Hyrule had seemed unstoppable out there. He stood on the rooftops with fairy magic wicking off of him in silver and rose whisps as he rained down lightning and fire with a wave of his hand and a word on his breath. Everytime Wild had gone out into the dark night and crawled through the wreckage of the festival, his eyes were drawn to Hyrule like a beacon. For someone who once claimed to be a humble traveler he had a great deal of power. Wild had nothing in his arsonal that could match the others for fighting a mass of tiny creatures. 

Anything he could do with shock or bomb arrows was minuscule in comparison to the others. A shock arrow only stunned a fragment of the living wave coercing through the city, and the spider swarm cracked through any ice that encased a few of their number. It wasn't enough, so he stayed in the makeshift hospital that was the town hall basement, and tended to the bitten and the wounded. Most of the people there had light injuries sustained from fleeing the town square, cuts from broken glass, twisted and swollen ankles, maybe a few broken bones from falling in a mad dash. Those with such injuries sat under the bookcases, a few doctors see in to their wounds. Wild sat on the opposite end of the room near the stairs connected to the door. That was where most of the bitten had collapsed so that was where he would stay.

Those who were bitten had pulsing black and red veins like Legend had, though many of them did not have his constitution. Sweat poured down their faces and made patches through the dirt on their skin. The flesh near the bite has a sickening sweet scent of rot that made Wild scrunch up his nose as he cleaned the wounds. He was with a man of about thirty, his shoulder stolen and covered in black and red where the bite was. He curled on his side, dark tangled hair matted with sweat, he flinched as Wild applied a thin layer of gauze dripping with fairy tonic to the wound. 

"It stings, but don't pull away. If you pull away it could be worse." His voice sounded cold even to his own ears. The man ground his teeth as Wild pulled his shoulder back gently and wrapped the wound. The fairy tonic set in with a faint glow of pink, the twisting veins on the man's body receding slightly. 

"Thank you, thank you, stranger." He muttered as Wild stood and moved from his side. There were still a few more to examine, and as he picked up the glass bowl of fairy tonic he liberated from a glass case, he feared it might not be enough for all of them. The pink liquid barely reached the first segment of his finger. In the flickering of crystalline light he could tell this batch would soon lose its potency, the pink losing its shimmer. People watched him as he moved through the room, his skin prickled under the weight of their attention, their expectations. It made his tongue dry and his throat tight. 

"Hey stranger!" A man burly and with graying hair approached him. "You've been working non stop for a while now. Let someone else handle that juice and sit down a bit." Wild just shook his head, reaching for the right words. 

"It's fine. I'm used to working like this. Besides, others might not know how to work with this substance." How charming, he thought, just subtly imply everyone is incompetent.

The man in front of him didn't seem offended, his features quirking into curiosity as he took a step forward and leaned closer than Wild would like, trying to look at the liquid in the bowl. 

"What is that stuff any way?" Wild took a quick step back, pulling the bowl closer to his person.

"Fairy tonic. It's a special elixir infused with the essence of a great fairy." The man looked at him as if he had replied in Zora. Wild's clipped, quick tone probably didn't help the man keep up with the concept. 

"Where did you get something like that?" 

"I made it." The man's eyebrows raised and his mouth came open a bit. Potion and Elixir making was not so common in most places, even in Wild's world. He usually didn't mind answering questions about it, but now was not the time with so many people hurting. 

"Milton, Why are you bothering our kind stranger?" A woman demanded as she stood a few feet away, arms crossed. She was sharply and finely dressed, her dark brown hair done up in an elaborate, if now half falling apart bun as a light blue dress flowed down around her. She radiated power in her stance. 

"Nothing Sophie." He gave her a gentle grin, as if greeting a relative. "I just thought this sweet boy might use a break." Sh turned her neutral gaze to Wild. 

"Do you want a break?"

"Not really." he murmured. 

"I see. That should be the end of it then." Milton smiled at her and nodded to Wild, walking away with no trouble, no fighting, and not even a hint of resentment that he could see.

"I take it you're in charge here?" Wild said as he sat with the next patient, a teenage girl grabbing her hands so hard there was blood on her nails. Sophie must have heard him properly, because she nodded and came a bit closer to him, though careful to keep a distance. 

"I would be the mayor of Clock Town." Her shoulders and posture relaxed as she spoke, her mouth curving into a slight but warm smile. "Thank you for helping my people."

“I wish I could do more.” Wild said as he dipped a new gauze into the fairy tonic elixir. He let it soak for a moment as he pulled a smaller bandage and a regular potion from his slate, both appearing in the blue glow of sheikah tech. He reached to the young girl’s hands and pulled them open gently, removing the nails from her palm. 

“Let me help.” Sophie said. Wild hadn’t realized she was still there, but her face was set in a serious and gentle expression, he lips a thin line and her brown eyes wide. She looked to be about Time’s age, and like him she carried a commanding tone. She held his gaze and the longer he kept his eyes open the more tired and heavy they felt. The dim glow of the lights blurred at the edge of his vision and suddenly a helping hand felt like a soothing balm of its own. He handed her the potion and bandages, and she began to use them with practiced hands to dab at the cuts on the child’s hands. Wild continued to work on the bite wound. 

“Thank you.” He murmured. Neither looked at each other while they worked. 

“It’s the least I can do. Especially since you treated so many throughout the night. I can’t do what you do, but I know basic first aid.” An odd way to describe applying tonic, Wild thought. “How much longer do you think your friends will last?” A chill went down Wild’s spine. 

“They are some of the strongest people where we’re from. I don’t know what that thing is up there, but I would have faith in them. It can’t be any worse than fighting a demon.” Sophie nodded in response, a curt and clipped motion. 

“I see. You travel with them as a healer?” Wild flinched at the question and assumed it wasn’t a slight. Or at least it wasn’t meant to be. 

“Well I’m actually a warrior myself. Not to brag but I was a knight and the champion of my people.” _ Even if that didn’t end well. No! _ Wild thought, _ bad brain! No self doubt during disasters. _

“You were a champion?” The surprise in her voice wasn’t helping. “And a warrior? What an interesting place you must be from.” Was the surprise really necessary? Wild knew he was small, and not exactly muscular, but he was still used to people recognizing his strength based on the sword on his back alone. Even the citizens of other Hyrules would see the master sword and know the strength required to be its chozen hero. Termina must be a very different place indeed. Still, she seemed charmed by the notion, her lips in a small smile. 

“Where you trained as a healer and a knight?” Again with this question. 

“No, I wasn’t a healer at all. My ex-” _ Girlfriend? Fiancee? Lover? I never really figured out what Mipha and I were to each other. _“My ex partner was a healer. She healed all my wounds.” Mayor Sophie looked genuinely confused as she finished wrapping the young girl’s hand. 

“She taught you to heal then?” Wild sighed, annoyed at the mayor's fixation on healing. Sure, the situation is bleak, but why fixate on him specifically? Go ask morty or whatever his name was to be a healer. 

“No. No one taught me to heal. I don’t have any healing magic. I am a knight first and foremost, just not a knight equipped to handle whatever that” He gestured to the ceiling and the spider swarm above. “Bullshit is.” 

The mayor’s eyes were wide, Wild could see her mouth twitch a little at the corner. 

“If you are no healer, then what magic did you use to make that?” She pointed to the fairy tonic. 

“Uh. Chemistry?” She rolled her eyes at him, slumping forward with a sigh. 

“Chemistry is making cupcakes. What you did with this, not many can do. Do you even know what you are?” _ Uh, no. For the past year I haven't known anything about myself but thanks for bringing that up. _ Wild wanted to walk away in a huff, leave and move on to the next patient, but as he looked at her with confusion and annoyance her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open. 

“By the stars. You don’t know do you?” 

“What exactly do you think I am?” 

“You’re a witch.” 

He thought about it for a moment, not even a few seconds before looking the mayor in the face and saying, 

“That is utterly impossible.” This time he really did get up and leave . He turned the word ‘witch’ around in his mind, as he walked to the corner to another patient. The others would never let him hear the end of it, being mistaken for a witch. Witches were hardly more than story book material in his world.

He did have a stronger than average bond with nature, but being a witch? No matter how he got his head around it, it didn’t fit. He may not have a full memory of his life, but the idea of a witch being a hero was absurd. Besides, what he did know of his family told him his father was a knight. Zelda had told him about it in the quiet moments of the night where neither of them could sleep so they played twenty questions curled up next to each other. He was from a rural town, his father was a local knight but came from a long line of knights. He joined the military young and moved from place to place. Being a witch would probably come up in his Zelda’s stories. 

He sat in front of an old woman, swirling what was left of his elixir as he began the application process all over again. Slow, delicate footsteps padded towards him. Wild considered the ache in his eyes, and the pain in his chest when he breathed too deeply and decided he didn’t want to argue with anyone. Not tonight. He spent a lifetime worried of what people would say about him, but not anymore. 

“You know, you can’t storm off dramatically when you’re in an enclosed space.” Wild ignored her. 

“I mean you no insult. Witchcraft is a gift and a skill, but if you didn’t know that’s what you are, I can see how my words would hurt you. I’m sorry if I did.” They dwelled in silence together for what felt like hours as Wild applied what little gauze and elixir he had left to the old woman before him. He had almost forgotten she was there until his neck prickled as her hand came closer to him. He was prepared to pull away from a sudden touch when she pulled away before she could make contact. She sighed, and Wild heard the mayor walk away. 

Wild found his work in the silence again. Time was right Termina, so far it has been an increasingly difficult place to be. Then again Time was always right. The people in the makeshift shelter were falling asleep, or in some cases waking up, and for a moment, things were quiet. The Wild a deep pounding sound from above. Not like the crash of the Spiders against stone, but a familiar footfall. Warriors burst through the room, face a little swollen and bloody, but he didn’t act like the bitten. His face was pulled into annoyance rather than wracked with pain. Warriors searched the room until his eyes landed on Wild. Warrior hurried towards him in frantic steps. 

“Wild, we need more stamina elixir. Sky is nearly ready to collapse and Hyrule is nearly at his end. We’re going to need you above for now.” Wild nodded, not exactly feeling full of energy himself as he followed Warriors out of the room and up the stairs. 

The sky a deep blue, the stars fading away as the dawn prepared to rise at any moment. Warriors and Wild had climbed up to the roof of the town hall, the tile falling and breaking away with each step. The centre of town was dotted with destruction, the remains of ice on one side, scorched earth from lightning on the other. In the middle of it all stood the swarm.

From afar Wild couldn’t see the many that made up the towering figure of a pitch black skeleton, but he could see the way its edges shifted ever so slightly. It’s head was on par with roof tops, and it's torso went down to a ribcage and spine before fanning out into a base of writhing creatures. It’s massive arms, as long as two horses rose up above it’s head and swung down onto a rooftop. Time, it’s target, met it with his biggoron sword. His balde shimmered with a red glow and as the spiders made contact a wave of Din's Fire sliced through it, lopping the arm of like it was a common bokoblin. The creature wailed, the sound of a thousand screeches, and before the rain of spiders could fall on Time, Wind appeared, his Wind Waker shielded Time in a gale. Both of them were heaving with every move, shoulders sagged and legs heavy and stiff as they retreated back from the beast. 

“How long has it been like that?” Wild asked. Last he saw it was barely a coordinated mass. 

“A few hours. It started building itself up and everytime we set it on fire or cut them down it reforms, but with more. We don’t know what’s causing it.” Warriors voice was like gravel as they plodded along to the others. Twilight and Sky met them first, Sky’s arm around Twilight’s shoulder. Wild wasted no time with words and went to his slate, summoning a variety of elixirs in emerald green. They each grabbed one before Wild could even offer, ripped off the cork with their mouths and chugged the elixir, despite its bitter taste. 

“You guys can’t keep fighting for ever. Sooner or later it will wear you out.” Twilight set down his glass bottle and looked Wild in the eye. 

“Unless you know how to contain this thing were doing what we can. Our strategy right now is working in shifts. One team distracts while the other attacks or rests.” Twilight handed Wild back his glass as he spoke. 

“Four hasn’t found anything in the library.” Sky said, “He’s been in there with a group of civilians, but no information on what this is. You know something?” Wild shook his head.   
“I met a few people who might know. The mayor was...interesting. I’ll ask when I head back.” Odds are she might accuse him of witchcraft again. Wild continued to distribute Elixirs, or rather, wait for Wind and Time to come to him. Those two and Hyrule were the most engaged with the monster, Hyrule flying in his fairy form over head. Time and Hyrule would cut down the monster and Wind would try and scatter it. It was like and endless cycle, one where the monster was reborn every time. It reminded him of his own blood moon, but this creature...it was hard to explain, but it didn’t feel like anything ganon made. Didn’t exactly feel natural either. Wild sat with his knees to his chest and his head in his hands, tired eyes drooping and getting the best of him. With each breath, with each nod, with each drooping eyelid Wild found himself falling down

and down,

and down,

into sleep.   
  
“HYRULE!” Wind’s cry startled him awake. The monster had moved close to them now, or rather, to him. The creature grabbed Hyrule by the wings, Time and Wind and everyone screamed and volleyed arrows bombs and sword swings. Wild was on his feet and ran before he knew what was happening. The swarm creatures mouth opened, the spiders contorting into jagged teeth, and as Wild ran the acid taste of fear filled him. Hyrule thrashed and kicked and flared, His fairy form starting to dim as the mouth got closer and closer. The jaws closed around Hyrule’s legs as Wild leapt into the air.

  
He could hear the others scream but he didn’t care.

His hands closed around Hyrule and he hopped, begged, prayed to Hylia that his weight would pull Hyrule out. The last of his fairy glow kept him from being bit, but is was waning. Wild kicked his legs in the air as he dangled from Hyrule’s arm feeling his friend slowly pulled deeper into the maw of the beast. The swarm skeleton raised a hand, a single digit, and with something like amusement in its features it pressed into Wild’s back. He was covered in spiders immediately. They crawled through his hair and down his clothes, legs like needles to his skin. He scrunched up his face and kept his mouth closed tight, waiting for the feeling of a sharp prick to his skin. He got his wish. One, two, five, ten, little pricks throughout his body, as the spiders clamped down on his flesh. 

_ I will not lose to you. _ He thought as the blood was drained from his veins and replaced with venom, _ Whatever you are, you will not kill me. I have fought evil incarnate and had my soul torn by loss. You think this will take me down? _ He reached for his slate, tapping for any weapon he could get. _ Think again. _

He had the knife in his hand when the spiders began to glow. A gentle blue light filled the spiders biting him, each one let go and writhed before bursting into light. Eventually all the spiders began to glow around him, each one fell to nothing, one after the other. He heard the Spider wail and he went from the claustrophobic jaw of the beast to the feeling of falling. Wind whipped against his hair and skin as he fell. He couldn’t tell where he was, or where he would land, his eyesight still spotty from pain and light. A faint pink glow caughts his eye and Hyrule grabbed Wild around the stomach as his wings faded and they tumbled to the ground. Wild’s world spun, the blurry outline of Hyrule faded in and out of focus as the dawn sky twisted around them. Wild laid there on the ground, seeping in the indignation. He has been thrown, flung and punched through the air, but this is the first time he’s been spat out. Honestly the insult hurts more than any physical part of him. 

“Wild...what did you do?” Hyrule asked from above, breathless. Wild twisted his body to match his gaze, straight at the swarm. His mouth fell open at the site of it. The right arm of the swarm was fading away as blue light crawled up it’s body like a vine. It’s gross facsimile of a mouth open and screamed with pain, the left hand clawed at the shoulder and tore off spiders in dying chunks. The others stood around it in shocked silence, all of them gripped their weapons in hand, waiting for it to strike back. It didn’t even notice them. The creature was too caught up in it’s own pain and anger, gouging at itself for what felt like hours. In reality it was minutes, as the sun barely began to rise in the sky.

Whatever that blue light was it had begun to fade, it’s growth slowed and stagnated on the upper arm of the beast. Wild thought it would strike back, that it would want to charge and destroy them in retribution but it didn’t. It looked to them, to the golden streams of daylight in the sky and nodded to them. 

_ “I will return” _ it seemed to say. The mass of spiders dissolved and skittered away, back to the sewers and catacombs below. They waited a minute, two, and slowly all the warriors slumped down where they stood with tired panting shoulders and spazzing muscles. Wild’s own bones seemed to ache and his eyes stung with tired as he flopped onto his back. 

“Wild.” Time’s voice startled him back up. The old man sat a few feet away from him. “Was that you’re doing? What...happened?” All eyes were on him. 

“I don’t know.” He said, recalling the mayor’s words from earlier. “But I might know someone who does.” 

  



	6. This isn't About Feelings.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild isn't taking being a witch very well, but luckily he has friends to help him with the power of science!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A deleted line from draft two of this chapter I wish I could include: "Don't pull a Wild on us, Wild."

There were plenty of things Wind hated in life. Somehow he was currently in a situation that combined several of his most hated experiences. One of which was early mornings. Five hours was not enough time to sleep off fighting a giant spider demon, but it was the best Wind could manage. His bandaged fingers curled when he woke up, joints stiff from slumber and over work the day before. Every muscle in his body must have turned to lead in his sleep. He had stumbled from his makeshift bed in the temporary shelter of the library to the current meeting in stiff, jerky movements, like a toy rusted and old at the joints. If his grandmother could see him now she would tease him for acting like he knew the pain of old age, but sometimes he felt like her body would out last his. Every battle, every adventure, and every monster left a mark that wouldn’t rear its head until the morning. It was an uncomfortable reminder that being a hero doesn’t make you invulnerable. A deep purple bruise stained his forearm from where Time had grabbed him out of the air after the roof of a building crumbled and fell apart beneath his feet. He had a few cuts along his leg, likely from the rain of splinters that showered them when the spider beast launched a wooden cart at them from across town. The worst was the burn behind his eyes and down his back that comes from pushing his body to the brink of exhaustion and beyond. Mornings were unpleasant, and for his life Wind could not understand why Time would set a strategy meeting for the morning when they were all dead tired. 

The second of many things Wind hated was small spaces. Small spaces were becoming a running theme in Termina. Termina was quickly becoming an exercise in disappointment. He had been told they would be in a war room, some place private they could strategize and look for answers on what they were dealing with. The war room was an attic in the Mayors office. A stuffy, dingy room made of dark wood, warped with age. It wasn’t terribly big like the cellar where the sick and injured collected, and had more in common with the narrow rows of a library than a war room. Everything about it was ancient. 

It’s a funny thing, how age has a look, feel, and smell. From floor to ceiling the past had a firm grip around this room, squeezing any sense of life or comfort from it. Bathed in a yellow light from the single dim source in the center of the ceiling, the room was filled with towering piles of boxes. Small wooden crates housing yellowing scrolls and files and documents stuck out like a jagged shoreline, each of them leaning against the other, fitting together like an intricate puzzle. A fine layer of dust drained the color from the floor, everything along the edges faded. His nose twitched at the earthy, mildew smell that clung to them. It was in this junkyard of a room that Wind, Twilight, Warriors, Time, and Wild had spent the better part of an hour sitting around an old wooden table, digging through old records and notes of Clock Town’s history looking for a sign of the monster from below. 

“We’re sure that a haunted mask of some sort isn’t the cause of this?” Time asked.

“Yes.” They all replied in chorus. Time turned back to his section of the map, outlining an evacuation path and writing notes in the margins. It was the most useful thing any of them were doing. Wind sat with a book in an old form of Hylian that was much more dense and wordy than anything he was used to. Warriors sat to his left, picking through old letters and pictures of Fire. He didn’t spend long on each page, mumbling through a few sentences of useless information before starting a new page. Twilight sat across from him, ever the diligent goody-goody paying attention to each detail, and next to him, perched on a tower of boxes, was Wild. He sat turned away from them, and had been staring at the same page in a book for close to thirty minutes. Normally Wind would tease him for being a daydreamer, getting lost in his own world while they did all the work, but that seems like the last thing he needs right now. Wind wasn’t entirely sure what happened last night, first Hyrule had been grabbed and the next he knew Wild had dove in after him. Then the light happened. Hours and hours of fighting and that light was the only thing to make a dent in the bizarre creature, and Wild didn’t even know how he did it. 

Wind wasn’t in the habit of pitying anyone, especially not another hero, but he did feel like Wild seems to attract a specific kind of trouble that messes with his head. Amnesia is bad enough, but finding out you’re not what you thought you were? The past twenty four hours have contributed to an already full plate of issues. Still, if anyone can bounce back from anything, its Wild. 

The click of a handle and squeak of old wood drew everyone’s attention to the door. Hyrule stepped through, a soft smile on his face as he noticed the eyes on him. All things considered, Hyrule seemed better than when Wind last saw him. The dark circles under his eyes have faded and shrunk and they now only look kind of bad instead of painfully awful. His hair was clean, if not exactly neat, and his clothes and armor looked freshly washed. The golden lights of the attic still caught the shadows in his face and the strain in his smile, but Hyrule wouldn't be himself without just a bit of weariness to him. Hyrule wasn’t paying attention, he kept his head held high as he walked but has hand was drawn to the small pouch at his side, fingers curled around it like it was his life line. 

“Did you get to see the Great Fairy then?” Wind asked, pointedly not looking at Hyrule directly. Hyrule hummed softly, his grip on the pouch tightened. 

“I did. She was helpful, if a bit… over the top. We were able to replenish my magic stones, but I don’t think we can do that every night. It took a lot out of her.” A chorus of humms agreed with him. 

“Did she have any valuable information for the rest of us?” Warriors mumbled, his lack of sleep growing more noticeable by the second. Hyrule wove his way through the room and to Time’s side at the head of the table. 

“She did. In a way.” He ran his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck, never a good sign with Hyrule even if he spoke with a smile. “She said the spiders found their way to her lair. They didn’t stay long, obviously, she’s way too powerful for them and they hate our magic. The Great Fairy said its because the magic is too pure for them but that sounds too…” 

“Pig headed?” Wind chimed in, earning a snort from Twilight and even a flicker of a smile from Wild. Hyrule and Time looked less than amused. 

“I was going to say vague, but thanks Wind.” Wind nodded, accepting his thanks whether it was genuine or not. 

“Did the spiders try to attack they fairy? Perhaps to get rid of her if they see her as a threat?” Time asked. Hyrule shook his head. 

“They didn’t come for her. The way she tells it, they were looking for something and left when they didn’t find it. They probably weren’t too keen on seeing a Fairy was there instead.”

“So they’re looking for something.” Warriors said slowly “Now we just have to figure out what it’s after and what it is. Easy enough.” 

“Has the Fairy ever seen anything like it before?” Twilight asked, his voice a murmur and his eyes glued to the book in front of him. 

“I’m not sure. She said it’s the first time anything like it has entered her lair, but she’s felt things like it a hundred years or so ago. Why, did you find something?” With those words everyone turned to Twilight. 

“I’m not sure. I’ve dug through a book of monsters but nothing exactly lines up with last night, but there was a monster, also from about a century ago, that seems similar. A creature made of water flooded the town.” Twilight said. He turned a few pages of his book before holding it open. Thick lines of ink twisted together, forming a giant Zora like creature, if Zora had skin that bubbled and steam rising off them.

“It’s called a wraith. Not much is known about them. They rarely occur in nature but are highly magical beings. It says that they can take many forms, so id doesn't exactly exclude spiders.” Twilight said, his voice so soft it was barely more than a whisper. 

“What exactly does it want?” asked Hyrule as he rushed over and snatched the book from Twilights hand. 

“According to the records, they just want to feed.” Twilight replied, “They drain the life of a land and people. When the last one came through anyone who drank the water from the well it emerged from withered and died. The historians didn’t go into detail. Funnily enough we used to have stories about wraiths in Ordon. But those were more like ghosts than these things.” 

“We should get the Mayor’s opinion on this.” Time said, “If anyone knows the history of this place, it would be her.” 

“No.” Wild snapped, the first thing he had said in hours. He must have realized right away how he sounded. His eyes fell to the floor as he continued, “I mean, we can figure this out ourselves. Plus we hardly know her, she could lie to us.” Time gave Wild a curious look.

“What reason would she have to lie?” Time asked. Wild shrugged, not looking Time in the eye.

“Wild, if this is about what she said earlier, about you being a-” 

“It’s not about that.” Wild cut Time off, “ I mean. That is a separate issue.”

“A separate Issue we should probably talk about.” Warriors sat forward in his chair, his gaze fixed on Wild. The captain stare, Wind called it. “So. You’re a witch. How do you feel?”

Wind couldn’t help but snort at Warriors words. The captain had a way of being blunt one moment and elegant the next, and which side he showed changed with his mood. As Wild’s face reddened and his hand twirled nervous circles in with the ends of his hair, perhaps blunt was not the best option for this conversation. 

“I don’t feel anything because it’s not something we know for sure. Mayor Sophie said the light was _like_ something a witch could do but she doesn’t know. This could all be a misunderstanding.” Wild said, not looking Warriors in the eye. 

“Sure, you’re being mopey and quiet and very unlike yourself because you feel nothing, not because it bothers you.” Warriors pressed on. “It’s okay that it bothers you, but you can’t let it get in the way of doing our jobs. So what's upsetting you the most about this?” 

Wild didn’t respond. He sat there silently, looking at each person in the room with something like dread. It’s hard to pin Wilds emotions, they tend to be ever changing, but here he looked uncertain. He looked around the room as if he’s been lifted up into the air and wanted to reach out for someone to tie him down. He never did, probably never will, because Wind knew Wild well enough to know he’s too proud for that and he would miss the feeling of being weightless as soon as someone puts his feet on the ground. 

“Its okay to be magical.” Hyrule broke the silence with his soft voice, “It’s odd to think of yourself as magical when you think you’re normal for so long, but everyone has a little magic in them. Some people just have it in a different way.” 

“It's not magic!” Wild snapped, he got to his feet in an instant his fingers curled into tight fists. “What I do isn’t magic. It's Science. Everything I do is based on careful study and trial and error. It's based on universal principles found in the world, it has nothing to do with me. I’m sure the mayor just saw something she didn’t understand and assumed it was magic. Many aspects of science look like magic to the untrained eye.” 

“You can’t be saying magic isn’t real.” Time said, frustration in the edges of his voice. “Your best friend turns into a wolf, Hyrule is half fairy, and Wind has a magic wand.” It’s clearly more than a magic wand but now is not the time to bring it up, Wind decides. “You could argue that with the elixirs there is more alchemy involved than spell work, but the light in the battle last night? What do you call that, Wild?” 

“I didn’t say that! It’s just that magic isn’t as powerful in my time as it is in yours. We have magic, but most of it is of the fairies. I don’t have an answer for everything, but I can’t assume that I’m secretly not Hylian based on assumptions on the unknown. I can’t.” Wild’s voice broke on the last word and Twilight was at his side in an instant, a hand on Wild’s shoulder. 

“I think we can all agree that making assumptions is not the best thing to do right now. I think the Wraith is our best lead right now, we can check with the residents here and see what they know about it.” Twilight said. Sometimes, When Twilight went into leader mode he could be so calming and steady in his words, that it was easy to forget how much of a dork he is. Almost. 

“Did it say anything about how they got rid of it the last time?” Warriors asked. Twilight’s face got red around the neck and ears. Never a good sign. 

“It says… that witches were the ones to handle it. The old texts say they cut off its source, but once again there's no detail on how.” Twilight sighed as he said it. Wild’s whole body seemed to tense, almost as if his hair stood on end. Twilight’s grip seemed to steady him.

“So we didn’t learn anything useful from this at all?” Wind said, disappointment heavy in his voice. 

“The book didn’t give us instructions,” Time began, “but did it give us names?” 

Twilight nodded and took the book, placing it on the table. “They were called Koume and Kotake. The witches of the swamp.” 

“Excellent.” Time grinned and leaned over the map and placed his finger on an X to the south of Clock Town. “Two witches who owe me a favour. Perhaps It’s time to pay them a visit.” Time said, as if the mention of the witches was thrilling and vexing all at once. With Wild moved from his box, the light from the window in the back flooded the room and haloed Time as he looked over the map, fixed on it like a puzzle. It made the circles under his eyes look darker, the blue and red markings on his face brighter, the blood on his armour a richer color against the bronze. Time looked more tired than he had when they arrived in Termina, although Wind knew if asked he would insist he was always tired. 

“You won’t be going alone, right?” Twilight asked. He could try to hide the concern in his voice but it was useless. Time looked up from the map, as if realizing he wasn’t alone. Whatever flicker of shadow played out in his mind melted away as he saw Twilight’s face. 

“No. No I think it is best for a small group to seek the witches and the rest of us stay here. We’ll need all the fire power we have if the Wraith comes back. I’d be happy to have you with me, Twilight.” Of course Time would take Twilight, if there was anyone Time trusted the most, besides his wife, it was Twilight. It made sense to Wind, though sometimes the way Time seemed to treat Twilight almost as a son or successor filled Wind with sharp jealousy. It prickled in the back of his mind, but_ now is no time to be a child, It’s best to have a team that works well together. _

“Wild, You’ll come with us.” Time said casually, and like that the temperature in the room began to drop. Silence filled the room for a second too long to be acceptance, and as Wind met Hyrule’s gaze he knew they thought the same thing. 

‘_ He can’t be serious?’ _

“Why me?” Wild said, his voice hardened and eyes cold. “I need to stay here and make the potions. People need me to heal them.” 

“You said the mayor couldn’t be trusted to tell us for certain if you are a witch. If anyone would know, it would be actual witches, and if you are one, they could help you with magic.” Time was so confident in his words. He was the only one. 

“Should we really make a team based on someone needing to find their ancestry?” Warriors asked, “No offence intended Wild, You’re a great hero and we would be dead without you several times over, but you’re not a team player.”

“No offence taken, I know damn well I’m not”. Wild quickly agreed. Wind nodded in agreement. They all had their strengths and skills and it was no secret teamwork was not one of Wild’s. Despite most of them achieving their quests with very little aid, they still mostly had companions, except for Wild and Hyrule. But where Hyrule was congenial and easy to work with, Wild was a force completely unto himself. The way he fought didn’t quite compliment anyone else, he threw himself into battle in a way that seemed frantic and strange, switching up styles on the fly and sometimes fighting with his surroundings as a weapon. Not to mention his tendency to act on impulse. 

“We can make potions in advance, but Warriors will need to stay as our tactician, Wind and Hyrule are to powerful to not be on the front lines, and Sky and Four are leading evacuations. Not to mention,” Time took a step towards Wild, putting his hand on his shoulder. “You have the potential to do more help by harnessing that light than by locking yourself in a kitchen. If you truly do not wish to go, I won’t force you. But it seems like your answers are elsewhere. And, most importantly, I trust you.” Wild stood between Twilight and Time and Wind did not envy him. He could see the twitch and curl of the older heroes fingertips, his eyes flicker to the door. 

“I think we should take a break.” Wind said, hopping out of his chair and stretching. A murmur of agreement filled the room. 

“Yes, I think that’s a good Idea we can-” Loud thumps cut Time off. Wild ducked to the floor and slid under the legs of the table, books and maps and papers jostling and almost falling off the edge as he crawled under it and through the other side. In a single swift motion Wild crawled next to Wind and hopped to his feet. The chaos was short and quick, Time and Twilight calling his name in shock or disapproval, and Warriors laughed in confusion. Wild didn’t pay any attention to them, he dashed to the door in a way that was both graceful and frantic, stepping lightly and swiftly while he knocked into boxes and shook the room. Wild left like a storm, nothing but silence in his wake. 

No one could see a friend hurting and not want to help. Wind felt that calling in his bones, the little hum that coursed through him that told him he has the power to help and he should do it, that told him to never give up even on the hardest case. Wild is far from a hard case. He was the friend who encouraged the craziest ideas. He was a friend who could turn getting lost into a game you never want to end. He was a friend who fell wholey in love with each new world he met, and each new environment he lived in. So a few minutes after Wild stormed from the room and fled, Wind and Hyrule looked for him. The nice thing about not being a leader was having the freedom to put of planning and tactics to make sure your friend isn’t having a breakdown in a closet somewhere. Luckily, Wild was easy to find. Wind and Hyruel stepped into the Kitchen of the town hall, a large building made of old stone and wooden tables. Baskets of fruit and bread were left sitting on the main table, abandoned in the chaos of last night, but otherwise it was neat and orderly. Brass cooking instruments hung from the walls, and an oven to their left still had one or two glowing embers in it’s center. In the middle of the room, hunched over a pot near the stove and mashing away at its contents, stood Wild. He didn’t notice them as they drew closer, his eyes fixed on whatever was in the pot. Judging by the smell it was some kind of monster organ. 

“Wild?” Hyrule’s voice was gentle, delicate, and easily swallowed by the squelch of Wild’s work. Gentleness was never Wind’s strong suit. 

“Wild!” Wind’s voice shook Wild from his work. “Whatever it is you’re making please stop! It smells like blood and mulch.” Wild looked at them, and back to the beginnings of what must be an elixir of sorts. 

“It’s a Moblin heart. For a stamina elixir.” Wild said with barely a hint of emotion. Hyrule stepped a little deeper into the room. 

“Maybe we can talk while you work?” He asked. Wild nodded slightly. 

“Did the others send you to check on me?” He asked. Wind shook his head, hair flopping back and forth. 

“Nope. We just happen to care about you. You said you didn’t want to talk but I don’t get the feeling that’s entirely true.” Wind said. Wild didn’t respond, lost deep in his own thoughts. He peered over the rim to his pot and looked at it’s contents. Hard edges melted away and his eyes lost their steely gaze. Arms crossed in front of his chest, Wild leaned against the edge of the table, shifting his weight to one leg. 

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing I say is going to change anything, I just have to deal with it.”

“Do you really not want to go? I don’t think Time will make you if you don’t want to go, you still have a say in it.” Wind said. Time may be their leader but he’s no authority. He can’t make Wild do anything he doesn’t want to do. 

“Do you really not want any answers though?” Hyrule asked, a tentative hand hovering over Wild’s shoulder. “When I found out about my heritage, it wasn’t exactly easy to accept right away. I was actually angry for a while. My parents left me, and this just seemed like one more betrayal. They couldn’t even be bothered to give me the most basic information? But actually talking to a great fairy and honing my magic was… healing in a way. Maybe this could be helpful?”

“I don’t know.” Wild replied, sounding more exhausted than Wind had ever seen him. “I just don’t know what to do or how to feel. I just don’t want another thing to deal with. I don’t _ want _ another thing that makes me different, or anymore secrets that I don’t know about myself. Sometimes I feel happy, and proud of myself, but something always reminds me that I’m not just _ me _. There are parts of me that I will never know, that belongs to someone else, and it’s only a matter of time before those parts comes back. And I never know if it’s good or bad. I’m just so sick of having to go through that again.” Wild is not the type to cry or scream, and to someone who doesn’t know him, Wild sounded remarkably composed. But Wind was a big brother, and even if Wild is older than him he knew when someone was upset and hiding it. He could hear the way his voice shook on his vowels, and how he got softer and softer as he talked. The way his chest rose and fell with quick, uneven breaths. If there was one thing Wind hated the most, it was when his friends got quite like this.

“I think it’s fair to be mad at that.” Wind said. There wasn’t much else to say. 

“It’s not fair. My problems aren’t that bad, I’m not the one who had his town destroyed by a giant spider wraith. I just don’t know what to think.” Wild sighed, turning back to his half mashed monster heart and giving it a sluggish stir with a wooden spoon. 

“What if we could help you understand it?” Hyrule asked slowly and carefully. “You want to understand but can’t and that’s messing with you emotionally. So why don’t we try to put it in a way that clicks?” Wild turned to face Hyrule, really face him, and for once he didn’t seem tense or nervous to talk to them. He tilted his head to the right, slowly taking in Hyrule’s words.

“How would you do that?” He asked. 

“You say what you do is science, so let’s do an experiment. The mayor said your potions are witchcraft, so it’s something everyone else can do then either you’re not a witch or we all are. If only you can do it, then it makes sense to go see a witch and compare results?” For the first time all day, Wild smiled. 

“That… that actually sounds like a good Idea.”

“You don’t have to sound so shocked!” Hyrule said with a grin. He hit Wild’s arm with a laugh and a playful smile. Wild snorted and feigned holding his arm like it was actually hurt. For a moment everything felt normal. 

“We’ll need someone with very little magic to do the test. Maybe we can get War-”

“I want to do it!” Wind yelled, arm raised in the air. “You never let me cook, plus I know for sure neither of my parents were witches. Just regular fishers.” Wild and Hyrule exchanged a look, then a grin, and Wind knew even if it was a bad idea it was the idea they were going with. 

They gathered the ingredients for a simple stamina elixir. Wild made them all the time, and it would be easy for him to give distant instructions without getting involved. A mashed heart of moblin. Powdered tooth of a Bokoblin. The chopped wings of a firefly, and many cups of water. Wild had him chopp it, measure it, and add each part in specific ways, even modifying the heat at different intervals. Cooking was a lot more math than Granny made it seem. It felt like agony waiting for temperatures to change and the ingredients to do… whatever they were supposed to do. Wild kept saying things like “Wait until the wings shimmer as they dissolve.” Or “The blood from the heart should fade from a black to purple color”, but Wind didn’t see any of that. The putrid ingredients just merged and mashed together, the smell of rot and old blood filled the room and Wind’s eyes watered. Finally, the elixir was done. When Wind turned the stove off after the final step Hyrule and Wild cautiously approached, Hyrule even held his nose. As Wind poured the results into a glass jar, it was clear that this was not an elixir. It was balck as tar, full of chunks that didn’t break apart quite right, and smelled worse than any of Wild’s elixers tasted. 

“I think we have a result.” Hyrule said very seriously. “How do you feel about it.” 

“This isn’t about feelings.” Wild replied, “But it definitely means there’s something to look into. I suppose I should pack for a journey to the swamp.” The words came easily to Wild, his face relaxed and smile open. Even if the room smelled and he kinda wanted to puke, it made his heart feel light again. 

“What are you doing to the kitchen!” A female voice half shrieked. Standing in the doorway, was Mayor Sophie, looking from the mess of monster ingredients to the three of them with a shock and a bit of fear. Mayor Sophie looked just as haunting as she did when Wild introduced her. Pitch black hair that looked just on the edge of bursting through the confines of its pins and long braid. Dark brown eyes that seem just a bit too big for her face. Pale skin, almost like bone, dotted with freckles under her eyes. She radiated an ethereal power. 

“We’re sorry! We were just making potions and it didn’t turn out so well. I’ll clean it up! Hyrule help me get the scrap on the table, Wind go get some water and maybe some incense.” Wild and Hyrule scurried to the other end of the room, where chunks of unused heart and horn and splatters of blood covered the table. Wind followed Wild’s orders, It was rare he took charge like this, and dashed passed the stunned mayor and almost knocking her down. A small pouch from the side of her hip came loose and fell to the floor, spilling a few intricately designed cards out. Wind stopped to pick them up in clumps, but Mayor Sophie practically dove down to grab them in clumps and put them back in her bag. Whatever they were, Wind thought, she must care about them a lot. Wind plucked the last card up from the ground. A beautifully painted picture with a jester in the center of a circular court greeted him, with the title “The Fool” at the bottom. It’s rather funny how the jester was the only member of the court not wearing a mask. 

“Here.” He handed the Mayor her card and she thanked him with a kind smile. Wind continued past her and up the stairs, dashing to his bag for incense to wash away the scent of blood in the kitchen. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SORRY this is late by two months and technically on the last day of the year. I've had three finals, a lab report, and just when I thought I was clear to start writing I got bronchitis. Merry Christmas. I wrote this chapter about three times before I was happy with it and I might still edit it later if I read through it and find errors, but I hope this is something worth of your time. Thank you for all the kind comments, they kept me motivated through out exam season. Happy New Year!


	7. Blood On Your Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilds life is made of questions. Question about who he is and what everything means, and what is he willing to do to find answers. As He sets out with Twilight and Time to seek answers from Koume the witch, he is tested in a most unusual way. Now he must confront if he trusts how the answers he finds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day! To everyone who clicked on this and read it I love you guys and I hope you have a wonderful day today and always. It's been a while since the last chapter, partly because this one is very long and because I have had a weird month and a half. This chapter is a bridge of sorts between the inciting incident and our main story. I hope it is enjoyable, though it is a bit more introspective. Thank you all again for your comments and kudos, and to all the wonderful conversations in the LU Discord server. 
> 
> So far Sky and Warriors haven't had a lot to do. That changes next chapter!

“When I die, be sure to give me a fun funeral. No crying or sentiment. Also everyone should be at least a little drunk.” Legend’s words snapped Wild’s attention away from the work in front of him. Wild looked up at Legend from where he knelt on the floor, looking over Legend’s wound from last night. Wild had stopped by the makeshift clinic in order to check on the bitten before he left with Time. He had hoped the fairy tonic would cure the bite, but it’s effects hadn’t lasted long. 

“Well that’s a very morose thing to say, especially in a clinic. Do you want me to pick out a head stone for you instead of this?” Wild twirled the crusted gauze between his fingers, half of it still wrapped around Legend’s wound. 

“I’m just trying to be prepared, even for the worst case scenario.” Legend replied, far too comfortable with the idea of death for Wild’s taste. He’d rather focus on the here and now, which still wasn’t a pleasant place to be. The rotted and sweet smell of a wound was heavy in the air as Wild peeled the gauze from Legend’s leg inch by inch. The black veins that ran through Legend’s thigh and down to his knees seemed to only have darkened since Wild saw them last. Black webbs streaked across pale skin pulsed with a reddish tint in the light of the Library. A feverish heat wafted from the bite at the center of Legend’s thigh, and as Wild removed the bandage and small splatters of blood from his friend he avoided touching the raised flesh as much as possible. Legend did not look impressed with Wild’s caution. He leaned against the brick wall instead of the soft down pillows that were lent to him. One hand held his head as he watched Wild work, the other gripped the sheets whenever Wild’s fingers grazed his skin. Even with his face flushed with fever and his eyes surrounded by dark shadows, Legend still had a smug look on his face. 

“You’re not going to die.” Wild said as he reached for the health potion behind him, “If the goddesses haven’t taken you yet I’m sure it’s because they don’t want you.” Legend groaned as Wild dabbed some of the health potion on the bite. A bit of pain for nothing as the wound stayed it’s dark and angry self. 

“I don’t know Wild, maybe after all these adventures the Goddesses have decided I get a respite. Not even you could ruin their plans to give me a damn break.” 

“Ruining plans is my only talent. Besides dying is vastly overrated, trust me Legend. Don’t get your hopes up for a relaxing afterlife, you’re stuck here with us.” Wild spoke through a grinn. Legend shook his head, his left hand running through hair damp with sweat.

“Until you get bored of me and wander off.”

“Oh I’ll never get bored of you.” Wild threaded his fingers through Legend’s, rising to sit next to him on the cott. Legend’s head leaned against the brick wall, Wild rested his head on his shoulder. “You have way too many creative insults for me to get bored. Besides, who would I steal weapons from when my sword breaks?” Legend chuckled at that.

“You did fine before you met me. Go robb someone else and stop breaking my stuff!” Legend shoved Wild’s shoulder. Their laughs mixed with the sound of the library denizens, lost in the murmur. Just like that it was easy again. Legend’s voice held more of a hint of laughter than a hint of pain, and for a moment there was no reason to worry about anyone. No monsters, just two boys in the corner of a library that had been turned into a clinic of sorts. The room was brimming with the murmur of people. Mothers hushed their babies, lovers reminisced about happier times, and those who had any skill with medicine flitted from bedside to bedside. Wild and Legend’s banter fit in to the crowd, just a pair of friends rather than a pseudo healer and a patient. The term ‘healer’ still didn’t sit right in Wild’s head. He knew how to take care of himself, and patch up a bear bite in a pinch. That was different from having a gift for healing. Mipha was a healer, with her gentle touch and a warmth that seemed to radiate from her. Mipha did more than just mend the body, it wasn’t appearing to fix wounds that made everyone love her. She could look you in the eye while pulling a knife from your heart and tell you you would be fine, and somehow you would believe her. As Legend’s laughter turned weak and slowly pittered out into deep breaths, Wild didn’t think he had that skill.

“When are you heading out with Time and Twi?” Legend asked, all mirth in his voice gone. “You sure you’re ready for that?” Legend asked. Wild pulled away from Legend’s shoulder, the warmth left him. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Wild asked almost probingly. Legend didn’t meet his gaze, eyes fixed on a light from above them. 

“Your first small team mission is on top of this… strange revelation. Knowing that, apparently a Witch is the only way to defeat this creature. It’s a lot of pressure.” Legend wasn’t that much older that Wild, technically Wild was older by a century, but every rise and fall in Legend’s voice was laden with age, wizened by experience so far above Wild. Wild didn’t know the details of Legend’s life, just that he has done battle with darkness the most of any of them. He rarely showed it, but those experiences had aged him, kept his shoulders heavy and his intuition sharp, but he was prone to expecting the worst in everything. 

“We’ll get them to help Legend. Time said he has a connection to them, he’ll probably walk up to them, give them a stern glare that could shatter stone, and a rousing speech of doing the right thing, and then they’ll turn the wraith into a frog. It will all work out. You’ll be fine.” Wild reached for Legend’s hand again, but his companion drew it away. Legend stood quickly, not looking at Wild but pacing in front of him. Or rather, struggling to pace with a limp. 

“I’m not worried for me.” Legend groused. He turned to meet Wild’s face, “I’ve seen enough to know when fate aligns. There’s something bigger at play. There must be a reason we were sent here, and after that light show of yours I feel like you’re caught up in it. Just doesn’t seem fair, especially to you.” The Legendary voice was rough and tired at the edges. Wild had only heard any voice sound like that after either screaming for hours or they were taken by some kind of illness. The man didn’t look any better than last night and he sounded worse, yet he seemed more concerned for Wild’s well being than his own. Should a healer be offended their patient was worried for them? This seemed like something he should’ve known. Where is the instruction manual for finding out some hidden secret about yourself? Wild shook his head, his hair fell from his loose braid into his face. Legend stood still and resolute. 

“It’s nothing I haven’t faced before. Monsters and mayhem are part of everyone’s life, It’s just another day. This won’t be different. It’s not fair but these people being attacked by a wraith isn’t fair either.” Wild said. Legend shook his head slowly, almost sadly.

“There’s a difference between how you fight your battles the rest of us. You weren’t working under a time limit, you were free to go where you wanted and get lost in the woods for months. You can’t do that here. Time will not allow you. Whatever quest you’ve been guided to will ask you’re devotion-”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child. Everyone has taken side jobs while they went on their quest.” Wild interjected, “it’s not as if I’m the only one to be sidetracked, and I know when to keep my feet on the ground.” Wild’s heart beat in time with his words, his body coarsed hot and numb all at once. His voice rang a little louder in his own ears, sharp and biting. Legend’s mouth hung open mid word, flashes of a response flitted across his face, before his mouth closed into a thin line.

“Fine. You don’t want any advice then I won't give it.” Legend looked him in the eye and he could see the shadows on his face. 

“That’s not what I want.” Wild murmured

“Then what do you want?” Legend asked slowly, thoughtfully.   
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to talk about this. Can’t your advice be something more positive?” Wild didn’t look Legend in the eye, his gaze was pulled to anywhere but the man in front of him. Legend’s laugh, more of a half hearted chuckle, couldn’t be ignored, nor could the words that came after it. 

“No. That’s the thing with this situation, it’s not very positive and you can’t avoid it. I know you’ve seen some rough stuff in the past, but you had your freedom. You live your life by your own whims, far more so than the rest of us. It’s not a shortcoming. It made you flexible, creative, and that’s a strength. You can find your way out of anything. But let’s be honest, your teamwork is nearly nonexistent. Half the time it’s just us telling you ‘don’t do this’ and you just doing it anyway. And it’s because you could find your way out of anything.” Legend spoke softly, not raising his voice, no accusation, but still Wild felt his mouth go dry and his throat got tight. Water, he needed water. That’s why Wild stood from the cott and walked away from Legend without looking at him. His steps were light and swift, he hurriedly walked through the winding library and away from crowds because he needed water. Nothing more. That’s why he didn’t mind that Legend followed him, and picked up right where Wild cut him off. “You could do whatever you wanted in your world, but what’s happening here isn’t like that. There’s one goal and you have to focus on it, hone in on it, and sacrifice some things to get to it, and that’s not your style. And it sucks when you get pulled into something that asks you to give up a part of yourself.”

“I’ve sacrificed myself before.” Wild spun to face Legend, speaking before he even meant to. “The results from the last time I put sacrifice above all else are still burned into my skin. I don’t know why of all people you think I need to be told of sacrifice.” Wild wondered if he looked mad, standing in a lisle of leather bound books, under dim lights, voice wavering in his attempts to sound strong. Legend didn’t look at him like he was mad, but Legend isn’t a much better judge. 

“I have no doubt you would lay down your life for us. For anyone.” Legend said calmly, his fingers rubbed at the crease of his eyebrows. He seemed more exhausted than hostile. “But You won’t compromise yourself. Who you are, your instincts, the way you do things, you wouldn’t surrender that to anyone. Being free to be who you want to be over who people need you to be is something you can’t go without. But you might have to. It’s not going to be fair, and it will hurt, but you and I can both feel that whatever’s happening here.” Legend paused as he looked back at the section of the building full of bite patients. “There’s a time limit.” 

Wild didn’t want to hear these words. He didn’t want the cold feeling that had been sitting in his chest all afternoon as he checked each man, woman, and child bitten by the wraith and saw no improvement in any wound. But that didn’t change what he saw and felt in the clammy back rows of the library. Legend, eyes as proud and sharp as ever stood on one shaking leg. His knee buckled every few seconds, it straightened only by Legend’s will to stay standing. Even with that same will, Legend seemed to be coming apart. Shoulders sagged where they would one be pulled back in pride, hair fell flat and dull, stinking of sweat. Wild drifted towards his friend, footsteps soft on the carpet floor. Legend watched him, but did not move as Wild drew close. He wrapped his fingers between legend’s own. Despite the building being warm from the body heat of all its inhabitants, and the thick layers Legend wore, his friend’s hand was cold and stiff. Wild was the first to sit, Legend’s hand still in his as he slid to the floor, head and back against the bookshelf. Legend followed soon after, knee finally buckling. With a soft grunt Legend’s other knee hit the floor and the rest of him flopped against the bookshelf and leaned into Wild. The only sound for all too long was the sound of laboured breathing. 

“I promise, everything will be okay. I’ll do everything I can.” Wild murmured. Legend shook his head. 

“I know you will. What I worry about is what you have to go through to make it right. It always hurts to face fate a second time. To have lost one part of yourself and be asked to give more.” The two locked eyes at the exact moment, as Legend offered one last question. 

“Are you ready to face this?”

That question stayed with him as he walked through the Clock Town streets. Shoulders slouched and feet heavy, he marched through the gutted city square like the war zone it had become. The shards of wood and stone splashed charred by fire and dotted with what Wild hopped wasn’t blood looked so pale and washed out in the sunlight. People always said daylight was soft, it was a new life that chased away the shadow. It was supposed to make things less frightening. But looking at the town now all daylight did was peel away anything that could hide the harsh truth or the world. Harsh sunlight illuminated the fragile and flaking remains of banners and flags. One purple and gold cloth had the word HAPPY scrawled across it, the rest of the message lost to Time’s fire. Raw food had been tossed from overturned stalls and left to fester on the street, flies and pasts starting to hover around the ruins like a cloud. Like a strange type of road, streaks of dark reddish brown were all too real in the light.

It’s easy to pretend that their battles and adventures were only between them and the monster of the week. A family affair. In the bright hours of mid morning, under the light of a sun instead of the moon, Wild places his hand to a brown and flaking hand print on the side of a house. It was much darker than the light stones of the building. The frame of the handprint was smeared and runny at the edges, as if the person had been thrown against the wall and ran. His hand was slightly bigger than whomever had left this mark, his palm a bit more square and his fingers were longer. He took his right hand from the wall and looked it over as if the blood had peeled itself away and fitted itself on him like a glove. Two weeks ago he would have said he was ready to face any monster, but that was always half the battle. He has to face Witches, and the very real fact that he is one. He might be one. 

That thought gets pushed away, discarded as he steps through the square and on to the road leading to the west edge of town, where Time and Twilight would be waiting for him. If ever there was a time he wanted to bury his face in Wolfies soft fur it was that moment. The soft clop of his shows on stone echoes as he entered the area of town that buzzed with life. Most of it was muted by loss, but people carried on as best they could. Those who still had houses had their doors open to the crowds of the city, both travelers and the displaced alike. People were constantly moving in and out of houses, carrying simple foods like fried eggs and bread with honey. Wilds stomach growled at the sweet smell of bread and the peppery eggs, giving the house across from him a longing glance. Quests can be so inconvenient, all Wild wanted to do was eat eggs and sleep. Instead he carried forward to the stable they had dropped the horse off when they arrived at the gates. _ See Legend, _ Wild thought, _ I can make sacrifices. I’m giving up breakfast for this! _

Twilight and Time stood with a taller man (Or a man of average height, being in a city really reminded him of how short they all were). Epona was at Time’s side and two other horses by the man’s side. One black one white with brown spots. Twilight heard him coming first, his eyes flickered to Wild and his face broke into a wide smile. Twilight waved him over and the odd fog that followed him since the kitchen experiment faded away somewhat. Maybe it came from being a farmer, or from the sporadic adventures they shared in his world, but Twilight always had a way of clearing the air. He may know how to keep his feet on the ground, but that was mostly thanks to Twilight. He fell into line at his best friend’s side. Twilight’s skin and hair were cleaner than the last time Wild saw him, he looked to have gotten a bit of rest. Judging by the look Twilight gave him, Wild couldn’t say the same for himself. 

“You okay? You look a little rough.” Twilight tried to sound as casual as possible, but his eyes betrayed his nerves. Wild learned the best way to read Twilight was to look at his eyes. 

“I’m fine.” Wild said under his breath. He didn’t want to interrupt Time and the stable owner. “Just had a conversation with Legend.”

“How did it go?”

“It was the kind of steller and uplifting conversation only Legend can offer.” Wild said. Twilight smirked at his words, and Wild felt just a little lighter. Twilight clapped a hand on Wild’s shoulder, almost as if talking with Legend was the most harrowing thing he’s done even on the last day. 

“I’m sure it’s with the best intentions. Is he doing any better?” Wild paused at Twilight’s question. Silence fell between them for a swift minute as a million different responses flashed through his head. 

“Yeah. He’s fine.” Wild said because he promised himself it would be. 

“If he’s feeling better then he’s found it in himself to tease a bit. Sky and I have talked about this, he comes off as worse than he really means to be, but if he’s in a good mood then he’s usually sardonic. It’s his way.” Wild’s heart tightened as he remembered the sincerity in Legend’s voice. How calm and quiet he was even as Wild was snappish. Still, Legend had it in him to joke and tease. 

“Is that all you’re bringing?” Time’s voice broke Wild’s thoughts. The man had a serious look, but he spoke kindly. He guided the two horses to Twilight and Wild, the animals naturally responded to his pull, hooves clopping almost in unison. Wild looked to his side, his sheikah slate hung at his hip. With a flick of his fingers across the screen Wild summoned a silver bow and a quiver of arrows, holding them up to Time with a grin. The old man seemed mildly amused and sent the white spotted horse over to Wild. “Just keep an eye on your supplies, okay kid?” 

“Got it. I’ll count my arrows the entire time I ride with you. The horse can figure things out on her own right?” Wild said with a smile as he hopped on the mare. Her mane was white and soft, and she knickered under Wild’s touch. Time gave a brief laugh and hopped onto Epona. 

“Alright boys, let’s head out.” Time didn’t need to sound intimidating or even raise his voice. As soon as the words left his lips the were off through the city gates. The fields of Termina were pale green and withered in the throes of fall. Wild took a breath of the chilled air and savored the sound of the horse’s hooves hitting soft dirt and dense grass. Wind blew the loose strands of his blonde hair every which way, lifting it off his neck and cheeks and into the air. It was more welcome now than ever. 

“Don’t get too relaxed.” Twilight teased. His friend rode to Wild’s left, his horse a bit behind Wild’s own. Twilight’s hair was blown back by the wind, the facial markings from the Twili realm on full display. Despite his heavy armor, tattoos, and black fur Twilight’s wide awkward grin lit up his face. “Time says this is dangerous territory we’re heading to. Keep your eyes open.” Wild rolled his eyes, pulling some of his hair back behind his ear. 

“I’m sure It will be fine, the three of us can handle whatever pops out of the ground. Assuming that’s how monsters crop up here. Seems like the trend so far.” Wild said. So far the Termina Fields were lifeless, Wild didn’t think anything, even a monster, would graze through the field as it is now. 

“Just focus on staying together and staying quick. We are on a deadline. I’d like to get back to town by nightfall.” Time said, his voice gruff. Time rode to Wild’s right and was ahead of him. Time didn’t turn back to look at him, but Wild imagined his face stoic and unimpressed. 

“Well if speed is what you need, I could have gotten Vah Epona out and cut out half of this trip.” Wild offered, only half serious. Time shook his head, his hair flopping from side to side. 

“No way. I don’t trust that mechanical contraption of yours. Besides, why ride an imitation when you can ride the real thing?” Time leaned forward and rubbed soothig circles on Epona’s neck. Wild patted his horse and felt her tense and relaxed under his touch, and saw a flick of her ears in satisfaction, and had to agree. He missed his own horses terribly. Time didn’t continue speaking and neither did Twilight. The only sound was that of the horses. 

“What type of danger should we expect from these parts?” Wild asked, his voice full of curiosity. 

“Pardon?” Time asked. 

“What kind of danger is out here? You ever really told us. Also, what should we expect from the Witches in this swamp? Are they friendly?”

“They’re… benign enough.” Time said without looking at Wild. 

“What does that mean?” Wild pulled his horse forward, riding next to Time instead of behind him. Time’s eye flickered to him and back to the road ahead.

“It means just what I say. They aren’t exceptionally helpful, but they’re not cruel. I don’t know much about them beyond that.” Time said in a wooden voice. 

“Why?”

“Why what Wild?”

“Why don’t you know that much about them?” Wild asked. Twilight made a strangled squeak from behind him, that faded into a terribly unconvincing cough. Glancing back Wild could see Twilight shaking his head frantically at him. 

“That’s a good question.” Time said, snapping Wild back to look at him. “I suppose I just didn’t have the time. I got their help and then I moved on.” he said slowly, as if he considered his words before speaking. A strange concept for Wild. 

“So you don’t know anything about what witches are like?” 

Time didn’t answer right away. He sucked a breath in through his cheeks and breathed out slowly. Wild’s chest tingled with a warm sensation, one he didn’t often get. He shouldn’t have asked. He should have stayed quiet and let it be. It seemed a harmless question but the longer Time stayed silent the more Wild regretted bringing it up. It wasn’t like he was dying to know all about witches and what they do. Until a few hours ago he believed witches to be the stuff of fairy tales. Funny thing about those stories though, the witch is usually the bad guy in them. It’s not like it should matter, but somehow his mind went back to that tiny, bloody handprint on the wall.

“They’re not pleasant.” Time’s words startled Wild from his thoughts. He really must stop daydreaming in the middle of conversation. “The witches I’ve met are a bit conniving and sometimes harsh. But I suppose they’re people like everyone else, and I don’t really know them. Except for you.” Wild’s breath caught in his throat. “You, I like so far.” 

Time spoke with all the warmth of a father. Wild couldn’t remember what his father was like, he didn’t have a face or a name for the man, but Time sometimes stirred a… feeling. A familiar sense of a hand on his shoulder or the faintest echo of a gruff laugh would appear at the edge of his senses when Time spoke like that. Almost always, it was followed by cold iron in his chest. Falling into memories always felt like losing something more than gaining something. The past would drag him down and a piece of his freedom, the levity that accompanied him since he woke up, would be torn away and never come back. When the memory passed he always felt heavier than before. An old weight would settle back into his heart and past knowledge left him empty. Wild never wanted to fall into memories of his family, he knew nothing else would leave him as hollow as those.

“Thank you.” Wild whispered, “Did you ever want to know the witches here?” Time took a deep breath but his soft smile faded. His gaze turned toward the sky, the old man looked caught in a waking dream for a split second. 

“Last time I was here I just wanted to leave. I didn’t want to know anyone, I just wanted to be over.” His shoulders and face relaxed, not in peace but with a tiredness that seemed impossible to hide forever. He seemed far older than thirty in that light. That was just a moment, and before Wild could blink Time was his normal self, back straight and jaw clenched. Wild couldn’t look away from him.

“So you didn’t think anyone could help?” Wild asked in a voice barely stronger than a whisper. Time chuckled, his laugh brought back the tiredness from a moment ago. He gave Wild an amused smirk, not unlike Legends.

“I knew no one could. It seemed pointless to know people. I would just be getting them involved and It didn’t seem like that would do any good.” Time’s smirk faded with each word. Wild didn’t know what Time’s last trip to Termina was like, no one did. He never spoke of it, except that he had picked up his mask collection from it. Watching Time here, in the baren and withered planes of Termina, Wild was reminded of his own refusal to speak up a century ago. 

“I understand.” Wild said. 

“No.” Time chuckled softly, a sad and weary smile on his lips. “You don’t.”

Time’s horse quickened her gallop at her master’s command. As Time carried forward, Wild and his horse fell back in step with Twilight instead. 

“Why do I feel like today is the day everyone judges me?” Wild said with a groan. Twilight rested a hand on his head, shaking him just a little. His eyes were kind but his mouth was a tight line. Wild knew that look, had seen it on Twilight’s face whenever he put his foot in his mouth. 

“To be fair, you do bring it on yourself.” Twilight said as Wild batted his hand away. The road narrowed and twisted as they went on. Wide open field gave way to towering palm trees covered in vines. The winds from the south blew warmer than those near Clock Town, damp and heavy air clung to Wild’s skin and hair. It wasn’t nearly as humid as the southern Faron region of his world, nor were there signs of thunderstorms, but it felt like each step was into a different world than the one Clock Town inhabited. Palmtrees grew twisted and gnarled. The earth became red with clay. Sulfur tinted the air and Wild smothered a gag in his throat. Time hummed as they passed a stone sign with a slightly chubby Owl perched on it. It’s head turned slowly to watch them as they walked past. Stone rose on either sign again, moss covered and pale, with no view visible but the orange glow from a hut up a head. Surrounded on three sides, the southern swamp was a basin. Time gently pulled Epona to a stop to the right of the path leading to the water’s edge. He hopped off, his boots sinking into the mud by a few inches. 

“IIIIII YAAAA!” Wild had his bow drawn in an instant as a shrill shriek pierced the calm of the swamp. Pulse thumping through his chest, up to his head, and down into the tips of his fingers, Wild tried to breath and quell the hot and twisted hum that ran through him. What makes a scream like that? A noise so shrill and primal that it sounds like a throat being torn apart from the inside. Is it hurt? A threat? It came from above, in the trees. Wild aimed his bow up and towards the curled palms, spotting a small animal dangling from the tree. It looked like a warped Hylian. It’s face and it’s hands were the only parts of it not covered in dark fur. It’s Eyes bulged from their sockets, it’s mouth twisted into a fang bearing grimace. 

“Don’t shoot it!” Time commanded as he gently pushed Wild’s bow arm down. “It belongs to the witches. Little rascal gave me quite the run around but he’s harmless.” Wild looked at the bizarre creature and back to Time, eyebrows clenched in confusion. 

“What is it?”   
“A Monkey.” Time and Twilight answered in unison. Twilight’s mouth twitched into an amused smile. 

“They don’t have those in your world?” Twilight asked.  
“We definitely don’t have anything as weird as that.” Wild said. The monkey hissed at him. The homely creature dropped from his perch on the tree. It’s red rimmed eye roamed over Time and Twilight with a keen intelligence, as if it were assessing them as threats or not. It must have assumed they were harmless, as it didn’t linger on them for long. When it’s gaze settled on Wild it stopped, tilted it’s head, and narrowed its eyes. A flash of cold ran through his heart and down to his stomach. He felt as if he were at the peak of a mountain and staring down the edge, his stomach twisted and throat ran dry. _It’s just an animal,_ Wild thought, _there’s no need to be nervous. _The monkey finished it’s assessment. It stood on two legs, almost like a little Hylian, and nodded to each of them. Wild never thought he would see Time look so relieved to have an animal, a monkey, give him it’s blessing. Twilight nodded back at the animal, which was all too expected of him and struck no one as strange. The monkey took off. It ran down to the edge of the swamp where a plank jutted out to meet a wooden ladder. It vaulted up the ladder in two or three rungs at a time before turning to them when it reached the top. _Follow_, it’s eyes seemed to say. 

“She knows we’re here.” Time sighed. Twilight kept his eyes on the animal but gave his mentor a nervous glance.

“Is that a bad thing?” He asked. Time shook his head.

“Not necessarily. I was just hoping to catch her off guard, It worked well for negotiation last time.” Time said as he strode towards the witch's shop. Twilight followed him, and Wild drifted behind them. 

“If it's any consolation Time, I love surprises. They never throw me off. I do some of my best work completely confused with no idea what’s happening.” Wild said with a nervous laugh. The center of his chest grew colder and tighter around his breath.

“I know Wild.” Time chuckled. It wasn’t a laugh of humor, but one of fondness that soothed his nerves. The witch lived in the middle of the waters of the swamp. A platform made of dark wood rose from muddy waters, and in the center of that sat a wooden hut. The wood on the hut looked nicer than the platform it sat on, but that may be a backhanded compliment. It was perfectly square and neither tall nor wide, with a roof made of straw that stretched out at the ends and curled up like massive horns. An orange light came from a single window on the right side. It reminded Wild of some of the houses in Kakariko village, the kind elders like Impa lived in. They climbed the ladder one at a time, Time himself careful to not break the rotted wood with his heavy armor. Each grasp of the ladder sent ice down Wild’s arms and churned the contents of his stomach. 

Time pushed the door open with a slow squeak of its hinges. 

Everything seemed normal. Or maybe it simply wasn’t as strange and magical as Wild expected. Growing up he thought a witch’s house would be covered in plants, full of bubbling cauldrons and floating furniture. At first glance this room looked empty, with only a few decorations on the wall. A map on the wall with bright red pins in it to the left. A few knick knacks on the wall to the right. Nothing obviously magical or strange, until you look closer. The same feeling he had when they entered Clock Town filled his stomach. As if he stepped into a place not quite normal, but not wholly removed from it. A place betwixt and between. Wild’s skin prickled as he stepped deeper and deeper inside. 

He drifted to the wall on his left which was covered in small photos. Wild’s hand traced the figures each one. Zora, Goron, Hylian, almost all of the different races had passed through the little hut. All of them were smiling widely in front of middlingly interesting trees and on the front of a tiny boat. _ How odd, _ Wild thought, _ to take a picture for no reason. _

Wild glanced back at Time, who studied the right side of the hut, dubbed the “Wall of Wonder” by a crudley named sign hanging from the ceiling. He stood face to face with an all too real looking mask of a grinning Hylian face, pinned to the wall by large iron needles. Twilight stood next to him, looking between a shriveled hand that resembled the Monkey’s and what looked like half a heart that glowed a rosy red. Six white candles on wooden stands stood around the room, one in each corner of the hut and two by the large wooden desk on the opposite side of the room. Their golden orange flames bathed the room in light.

The monkey raced through the room with a screech. Somehow, the creature was forgettable compared to the mix of photos and artifacts in the room. It jumped up on the wooden desk and rang a small bell that sat at the center of the table.

One sharp ring echoed through the room high and sweet.

One deep ring than the last sounded like a crash of thunder.

One sweet ring that traveled through the room like a wave. 

“Well isn’t this a sight to see!” A ragged, reedy woman’s voice exclaimed. Out of the flickering shadows cast by the candles as if she had always been there, a tiny and absolutely ancient woman appeared at the desk next to her pet. “The Hero of Time all grown up and visiting us once again. Oh and he’s brought some little men with him. Your boys I’m assuming?” 

“Koume.” Time greeted her in a voice as cold and clam as ice. “I see you’ve redecorated.” Koume let out a sharp, biting laugh as she one hand down the back of her monkey. Wild looked to Twilight for an answer only to be met with the same level of confusion.

“Always a witty one. Come in, come closer. It’s been so long, especially for you. I can’t imagine fate drew you here for a boat tour?” Time stepped forward and Wild followed, despite his better judgement. As they approached Wild could see the woman in front of him wasn’t just ancient. She looked as if she had died and no one had the decency to tell her. She was a mess of scarred and wrinkled skin, the lines of her face twisted and tangled through her face and neck. Thin and fragile hair like wisps of smoke cascaded down around her face. She wasn’t nice to look at, but that wasn't unusual for the old. It wasn’t the reason Wild didn’t want to look her in the eye, yet some whisper in his heart said he must. Koume radiated serenity from every pore. She sat and took in the world like Wild would take in an old song from Kass he’d heard before. She was amused but not surprised, intrigued but not invested. There was a power that came from that, and It couldn’t be ignored. 

“What have you come to see old Koume for?” The peeling scabs that were her lips curled into a smile. Wild couldn’t tell if her teeth were yellow naturally or due to the light. 

“Nothing good.” Time said, “Clock Town is under attack.”

“Clock Town is _ always _ under attack.” Koume cackled, spittle spraying on to the wooden desk. “It’s their tradition at this point. Tell me, is it due to a child playing with masks again?” Time shook his head. 

“The creature appeared to be a Skultulla. A few of my companions dealt with it only to discover it could not be killed.” The old woman narrowed her bulbous eyes at Time’s words. “From its belly came a swarm of spiders that acted in unison. They seemed to share one mind and were clever in their attack. The bite from these creatures has made several people very ill. We believe these individual creatures are part of a larger whole. Something called a wraith. I don’t know what that is, and I don’t know what it wants, but I do know you and your sister have faced one before. We are here to ask you to do so again. I’m sure the city would compensate you for whatever you want.” Time finished his speech and the room grew quiet. Koume was silent, her face unreadable and her eyes closed in thought. 

“I’m afraid I can’t give you the aid you seek.” She sighed, her face fell in a frown. 

Twilight looked to Wild with wide eyes and his shoulders bunched up in stress. Wild’s chest grew colder. Time stood resolute, but Wild saw his fingers curl in the way they only did when faced with disappointment. 

“What do you mean?” Time asked, “History books have spoken of you facing a wraith before. Lives are at stake-”

“History,” Koume raised a single hand “Is just that. History. In the past I could face such creatures and emerge victorious. Now however, I am old. My sister is old. We don’t have the power to fight your battles. Least of all against something so powerful as an incarnation of rage.” Her voice wavered and cracked, surprisingly brittle. She carried no malice in her words, only a hint of regret and sorrow. “ I am sorry, my hero. Time once again is not on your side. However,” Koume turned her head slowly until she faced Wild where he stood. “I sense that is not the only reason you’ve come to me.” 

Wild’s throat was dry as he stepped forward. His voice probably sounded as rough as her’s. 

“During the battle the wraith, or the spiders that is, bit me. Instead of making me sick, this blue light appeared from inside them. It killed parts of the swarm.” Wild’s voice sounded distant to his ears, as if he were hearing them from afar. His pulse beat loud and hard in his head, each thump smothered his words even more. Wild couldn’t tell if he explained it well. Koume sat silent and still as she watched him with unblinking eyes. “I want to know what that was.” 

The witch considered him for a moment, looked him over like her pet had just minutes ago. _ I’m starting to get really sick of people looking at me like a puzzle piece _, Wild thought. 

“Is the boy yours?” Koume asked Time accusingly. Time blinked at her, taken aback by the question. He made a startled sound before he collected himself. Twilight snorted in laughter. 

“No. These are my companions. Both of them are heroes in their own right from distant lands.” Time repeated the same easy lie they gave everyone. 

“How interesting.” Koume muttered almost disappointed. Gently, the witch turned her outstretched hands to the candles beside her. Her delicate fingers hovered over the shadow that spilled over to the floor, hovering as if waiting for permission for something. The witch curled her fingers upwards and pulled her arm in a single languid motion. With each motion the shadow in the candle rippled and churned like rain drops on a still lake. The odd feeling of being between something lessened as Wild realised he had indeed entered a place far from reality. Out of the shadows rose a three legged stool made of blackened wood. It hovered in the air as the witch kept pulling and pulling, rising ever and ever higher. Then, the witch stopped. She splayed her hand wide and the stool hovered for a second before dropping to the ground with a ‘plunk’. 

“Have a seat.” Koume gestured to Wild. The old woman ducked under her desk and pulled out a white about as big as a dense book. It was utterly devoid of any detail of distinguished marking, not even so much as a stain on it’s glossy surface. Wild scooted closer on his stool as Koume opened the box. A set of equally blank white playing cards rested inside. Delicately, Koume lifted the cards from the box and began to shuffle. 

“Witches are terribly rare these days.” Koume spoke, “We have never been trusted by outside groups. Many families have been lost to ignorance,” She placed a single pale white card in front of him, never once looking at them. “To war,” A second card to his right. “And to fire.” A third card to his left. “Many of us are scattered to the winds. Families driven to hide until they forget who they were. But our connection to magic runs in the blood. It is part of us and it can never be suppressed no matter how long ago they practiced magic. The child of a witch is always a witch. There are many ways to find such children. My favorite way is through Tarot cards.” Koume held out her boney hand palm up, as if expecting Wild to give her something. 

“Give me your hand.” Wild did as he was asked. He reached over and placed his hand in hers. He expected her touch to be cold and clammy, but her skin radiated heat. Pain shot from his hand and up his arm as a knife cut through his palm. Wild yanked his hand back, but Koume held him by the wrist, a knife in her left hand. Twilight dashed forward, his steps heavy but cut short by Time’s harsh whisper to leave it. Blood welled up from the cut in a rich red line, far brighter than the stains on the wall in Clock Town. It seemed like too much. Too much blood from a wound that hurt more than it should, that seemed to throb and push more and more of the liquid from his body. It gathered in his palm like a puddle. Koume squeezed his hand and pulled it forward inch by inch, turning his hand over each card until the blood spilled out. 

On each white card a drop of blood hit the center dead on. Each drop of blood began to bubble and ripple as if it were alive before slowly thinning and stretching over it’s new canvas. Delicate strokes by an invisible hand guided the red ink as it twisted and curved around itself. Wild’s blood painted a picture on each card. Not something crude or messy, but intricate, whole drawings in a rich red against stark white. Each card now had the illustration and title of a true tarot card. None of them made Wild happy. 

“Go on then,” Koume whispered. “Tell me what you feel. What do these mean to you?”

Wild looked at the first card positioned on his right. The past. An old man sat on a throne of books and scrolls, the sun hung over his head. Wild’s blood had spread thin and wide over this card, most of the depiction was in negative space, almost as if it were a red card inked in white. It was the simplest of the cards by far. The only eye catching thing about it was it’s reversed position. Beneath the throne sat it’s title of The Hierophant. 

“The Hierophant. It’s reversed so it means the opposite of what it normally does?” Koume nodded. If she was pleased or displeased he couldn’t tell, her wrinkled face stayed still as stone. He wouldn’t get any answers or hints from her. He was on his own for this. For most people, even his companions, this would be a terrifying thing. To be completely alone in a room full of people is a notion full of sorrow. For Wild it was like a breath of something familiar. Wild closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and listened. He listened to kass’s stories from evenings spent by the fire. He listened to the cards that called to him with something strange and wonderful. He listened to the blood in his veins and in the cards.

“The Hierophant is a symbol of spirituality and knowledge. He sits on a throne of knowledge but has no one to teach. I think he’s very lonely. He has reached illumination but he’s the only one.” His fingers traced the face of the Hierophant. Of all the cards before him, it was by far the least dramatic. It brought news of something long known, of something in his past that would always haunt him, but that did not make its message less important. 

“Reversed it means… I lost that knowledge. There is something unknown and hidden and it’s restricting me. It’s probably about my amnesia.” Koueme’s eyebrows raised just a bit in shock but she said nothing. 

“In the present,” Wild turned to the next card. “Death will make itself known.” Twilight made a choked noise from behind him. He really was just behind him, but it felt like he was a world away. Right now it was only him, Koume, and the cards. The card directly in front of him was made of thin sharp lines. It illustrated a skeleton bursting free from a skin suit falling to the ground in shreds. The Skeleton’s right hand reached upwards to a scythe that fell from a night time sky. Two large birds carried a hooded robe to the Skeleton’s side. Despite the gruesome scene, the Skeleton looked happy, it’s mouth caught in a wide grin. It was free. The title of the card at the bottom read “Death”. 

“Death isn’t really about dying. It is the end of an era for life. A chapter closes and fades away so a new one can begin. It isn’t always easy, It can be painful, but it is inevitable. I should expect a big change in my life.” A cracked, stiff smile spread across Koume’s face. Wild traced his fingers over the grinning skeleton. If the Hierophant was lonely then death was truly happy. Wild never considered himself particularly sad, but it seemed that whatever change was coming would be positive.

“For the future,” Wild turned to the last card “I, um. I don’t know how this fits in. What to The Lovers have to do with this?” Wild asked the witch, who quite predictably said nothing. The card was perhaps the most minimalist of all. Clean straight lines showed two androgynous figures inside a heart cut in half. Each figure stood inside one half of the heart facing each other. Wild’s blood had curled into flames around the heart, something turbulent and dangerous but The Lovers only looked at each other. While the two halves of the heart had distance between them, The Lovers hands broke through the walls of the heart, hands united amongst the chaos. The cards title was written in a cursive font at the bottom. 

“Why do you think? What do The Lovers represent?” Koume said almost teasingly. Wild traced his hand over the card. Warmth seemed to radiate from the flames drawn on the card, but it didn’t hurt. It felt fragile, like something not quite as real as the last two. 

_ Of course, that's because it's the future. It might exist or it might not. _Wild thought. When he had first learned of the lovers he thought of it as a romantic card. People had been eager to get it for signs of good fortune in their love lives. Wild never had much interest. No time for love or personal feelings when there’s so much to explore in the world. No time for feelings when fate has already been laid out for you. He had a strong feeling falling in love was not an option for him here. He highly doubted he could seduce a wraith, even if he wanted to. No, as he looked at the figures he felt this was another type of love all together. Two halves joined together despite the chaos. 

“I think this is a future that might be. If I have lost something in the past, and my present is the end of a chapter of my life, the The Lovers are the new chapter after Death. Something peaceful and whole.” Koume narrowed her eyes. She looked at him like he was a question, but Wild felt resolute in his answer. 

“That is not how The Lovers are usually interpreted.”

“Maybe. But that’s what they mean to me. That’s the story the cards are telling.” 

Koume slapped the table hard. The Monkey at her side jumped in fright, even Wild flinched at the crack of her hand on wood. She let out a barking laugh, her head tilted back from the force of it, and Wild ducked his head down. Suddenly he felt very foolish reading cards like they mean anything. Twilight was at his side before Wild could tell someone was near him. His solid hands on Wild’s back always felt like a tether in a storm. He leaned into that touch. Time stood back and watched everything. 

“My dear, I can tell you why that light appeared.” Koume said as she finally put herself back together. “You thought very hard about wanting to get away, didn’t you?” Wild nodded his head. In the Wraith’s gripp all he wanted was to get himself and Hyrule out. “You willed that light into being. The force of your will seeped out of your spirit and coursed through your body. This is the foundation of spell work. To want something very badly and willing it to manifest. That light was your magic, and even though you are awoken, it sounded quite powerful. I had my suspicions, but after you created three Major Arcana?” Koume laughed again, this time a dark and heavy sound deep from her chest. She shook her head in disbelief. “You always find the most interesting people, Hero of Time.”

At that moment, Wild felt as if he were cut into three. One part of him was numb. This didn’t matter. He was still himself no matter what people called him. He should be used to change by now, change is a constant in his life. This part of him was numb and cold, and far away. The second part felt oddly happy. He was a Witch. The label should have always been there and described more more about him than it redefined. A light and airy feeling mixed with the numbness in his heart. The third part was what he felt when staring down a Lynel unarmed. It searched the tiny wooden room, the masks on the wall, and ran through every word and implication. In the tiny wooden hut over the southern swamp, Wild discovered he was a witch. The cold part of himself was neither angry, or happy. He looked down at the Death card and asked himself, _ what comes next? _

  
  



	8. A Fairy's Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind and Hyrule discover some truths about the wraith that cause them to doubt the people around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a month or so since I last posted, and in that time things have gotten crazy around the world. I know things are scary and uncertain right now. Sometimes it feels hopeless but the wonderful Zelda community as brightened my day every time. I hope everyone is staying safe and that you are in a place you are supported. Thank you for taking time out of these crazy few weeks to read a fan fic about witchcraft and heroes. You guys motivate me, and I send everyone my support and good energy back at you. Love you all and hope you're safe. Thank you for your comments and kudos. <3

“So you’re not coming back?” Wind asked the small blue stone in his hand. Or rather, he spoke to his friend on the other side of it. Wild’s face was blurred at the edges of the stone, his form flickered like the fragile flame of a candle, but even still Wind could see the tense look on his face. The distant, restrained mask Wild wore when something weighed on his mind. His eyes were serious and cold, the slight twinkle of wonder he usually had was replaced by careful neutrality. The tight set of his jaw was the opposite of the wild hero who leapt off buildings with a manic grin. Wind, Warrior, Sky, Hyrule, and Four had all gathered in the attic, their newly dubbed war room, when Wild’s voice echoed from the stone around his neck. The moment Wind saw Wild’s face on his magic sheikah stone he felt his heart sink. It was never a good sign when Wild was serious. Wind leaned forward in his creaky chair as Wild seemed to contemplate his words. Four other heroes stood crowded around him and leaned closer over Wind’s shoulder in unison. Wild carefully brushed a strand of straw colored hair behind his ear with a sigh. 

“Not right away. Our plans have gotten a little more complicated. Koume says she and her sister couldn’t help us.” A chorus of deep groans filled the room. Sky’s face twisted in frustration, and Wind knew that if Sky were less of a gentleman he’d let loose a string of curses. Wind was never a gentleman, and had no such reservations.

“So basically we’re on our own? Great,” Wind sighed, resting his head against the table, arms crossed. “This is gonna be a fucking nightmare.” 

“Wind!” 

“What? Do you know how to kill a spider monster? We threw everything except a giant shoe at this thing, and it kept bouncing back!” Wind said. Warriors shook his head in disappointment, but Wind figured their whole plan for saving a town from a monster falling apart was a bigger disappointment than he could hope to be. Warriors would forgive him. 

“It makes sense. She probably doesn’t have the power to fight it.” Four said. He stood and looked at Wind with his hands on his hips, somehow managing to sound both annoyed and smug. “She’s probably too old. Imagine if your grandmother had to fight this thing?” Now_ there _ was a thought. Wind pictured for a moment a little old woman all dressed in black, a less colorful version of his gran, as she hobbled up to the looming monster armed with nothing but a cane and a look of disappointment. If the witch was anything like his grandmother, she wouldn’t even flinch at it. 

“I would _ Pay _to see that. That thing should be terrified of my grandmother, and old ladies in general. They tend to know a lot, that makes them powerful. Right Wild?” Wind looked to the stone, but Wild didn’t seem to be paying attention. He nodded thoughtfully at Wind’s question but his eyes drifted to something in his lap. Something Wind couldn’t see. A pause, a breath, and Wild spoke again.

“I’m not sure how much of their story I believe. She seemed to have no problem doing magic when we met her. If she can pull objects through shadow, maybe she could do that to our arachnid infestation?” Wild asked with a half hearted laugh. 

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” Hyrule said. He hadn't spoken up since Wild called. Hyrule stood in the back just behind Wind, his hand fiddled with the small bag at his side. Hyrule’s bag was about the size of a fist, made of a cheap muddy brown burlap fabric but cinched with silky gold chords. It was both torn and beaten and well taken care of, as Wind had seen the typically reckless Hyrule guard it even if it meant taking a blow to his side. Even among friends he kept it close. With every tap of his fingers the faint _ clink _ of smooth stones rubbing against each other could be heard. Wind could never tell if doing that made Hyrule more nervous or calmed him down. 

“I won’t claim to understand the magic they do, but in general magic is a give and take.” Hyrule dipped two fingers into the pouch, not even pulling a stone out. He raised his right hand, his off hand, and held it at his eye level. His left hand clenched around a stone and a soft glow of dark rosey light flickered through the bag. 

“You’re only as powerful as the energy you give. That energy, at least for me, goes through the body.” Hyrule paused, then set his sights on the paper lantern shaped like a grinning moon on the far stack of junk. The soft pink glow shone on the skin of his palm once more, and from it flames dripped off Hyrule's fingers. One by one the small embers rolled up and off his skin, until small glowing beads of gold hovered off him and spiraled around his palm. “Some spells require a lot of energy in the body, and it’s not exactly pleasant to go through.” Hyrule said. With a gentle toss he sent the stream of fire up into the air. The stream of fire soared in an arch, before it hit its target and coiled around the wick in the lantern. The flame cast a warm glow over the room. “You can still do basic magic with little energy. But that same amount of energy can’t do difficult spells.” 

Hyrule’s words did make sense. Wind didn’t know much about magic, his experience being mostly concerned with the Wind Waker and the odd magical item or two, but he couldn’t use them forever. Just like he couldn't swim forever or run forever. At some point the body begs for rest no matter how skilled you are. 

“I understand what you’re saying, Hyrule. But Hy,” Wild’s voice was distant, almost muffled through the stone. He paused, an almost sad sigh barely heard. “You do realize I can’t see what you did right? The only thing I can see is Wind’s neck.” Wind looked down and did indeed see he was clutching his sheikah stone close to his person. All eyes were on Wind as he slowly pulled the stone further from himself, before finally setting it on the table. Between himself and Hyrule, Wind couldn’t tell which of them was more red in the face. 

“Don’t worry, Hyrule’s just taking a moment to show off.” Sky said as he grinned from ear to ear.. Hyrule’s eyes were suddenly fixed to his shoes and his freckles almost disappeared in his deep blush. Hyrule turned to Sky with a tight smile and a quick, playful jab of his elbow.

“I get to show off every now and then. Don’t be mad just because this problem can’t be solved by knowing a bunch of bird calls.” Hyrule couldn’t finish his sentence without laughing, and Sky joined him. Wind ducked his face into his arms to hide a smile and a snort that couldn’t be smothered. Wild, for his part, seemed at least a little amused by them. Wild, despite technically being a century old, always had a grin like a little kid. It was lopsided, and a little too toothy, but Wild looked like himself, if only for a brief moment. 

“That sounds right. I’m sure if I were an old man I wouldn’t feel like fighting monsters anymore either. It makes sense if you think about it.” Wild said. He looked down at whatever was in his hands again. Even through the stone Wind could see the weight on Wild’s mind. He carried it in his body, in the way his head tipped forwards and his arms folded in his lap. The dark circles around his eyes seemed bolder than before. His voice was quiet, peaceful, but they left him cold. 

“How do you feel, Wild?” Warriors asked as he knelt closer to the sheikah stone. Wild didn’t answer immediately. He tilted his head to the right, a quirk he had picked up from Twilight. The stone flickered and blurred Wild’s image. 

“What do you mean, how do I feel?” Wild asked. 

“Exactly what I said. I want to know how you feel about all this.” Warriors said. He was almost at eye contact with the stone, his chin resting in his hand and his elbow on the table. He was usually such a stickler about social niceties like “No body parts on the table” and “Bathing regularly” that it was almost funny to see him bend them just a little. This was probably the rudest he’d ever seen Warriors. Some people had a way of asking questions like they were trying to claw their way into a person. Their captain was never like that. Even when he asked questions or gave orders he still radiated warmth in every word he spoke. 

“Well if I’m being honest,” Wild replied, “I feel really tired. And hungry. Tungry.” Wild nodded solemnly, as if considering the weight of his confession. If there was anything Wild hated more than an existential crisis it was being hungry. 

“That’s not really what I mean.” Warriors sighed. “I mean like your instincts. What does your gut tell you?”

“Honestly, I’m feeling like I might skip dinner and just eat carrot cake all day.” 

“Wild…” Warriors ran his left hand over his eyes and up through his feathery hair. Wind wasn’t sure what else Warriors was expecting. He was pretty sure Wild was smiling if only slightly, but the stone’s vision dimmed and flickered, many of the details of Wild's face were lost. 

“To be honest I’m not really sure of a lot of things right now.” Said Wild, “I get a few more answers but a lot more questions. Not just about personal matters either.” Wild paused, the right words eluded him for a moment. “It’s not necessarily what she said, but how she said it. When she talked about Clock Town she said ‘the city is always in danger’. Like it was inevitable but draining. Like a chore you have to do each day. She didn't exactly seem eager to help us. I have a feeling bridges were burned between them and Clock Town. ” 

Warriors said nothing. He gave Wild a nod and a pause but let the silence speak for him. Wild’s words echoed in the cramped, cluttered room full of history that barely mentioned the witches names. He thought of Time’s displeasure with the town, how dread had set in on him like a sickness, or how he looked to the sky like he expected to be struck from above. Clearly this town was not good at keeping friends. 

“Do you think you’re in any danger there?” Warriors asked seriously. Wild shook his head back and forth, his long hair flying in his face. 

“No. She and Time respect each other at the very least and so far she finds me… fascinating. She says she wouldn’t hurt another witch.” Wild said the words so casually Wind almost missed them. 

“So you are a witch?” Wind asked, unsure if he should be happy or concerned for his friend. Wild hadn’t taken well to the suggestion he might be a witch, but from what Wind could tell through the stone Wild seemed fine. No identity crisis breakdown, no being trapped in the memories. He still spoke with less warmth and humor but over all he seemed far more put together than Wind expected. But then again Wild never had the luxury of letting his distress paralyze him. If anything he pulls himself together to survive. Wind can see that in the way he nods his head ‘yes’ at his question, a short and strict movement that didn’t betray a single feeling on the matter. 

“I’m glad you three are safe over there. Take the time you need to talk with Koume. Even if she can’t physically help us, she might be able to help us learn more about the wraith.” Warriors said, “We’ll take care of people over here. Everyone will be in a safe location by the time night falls.”

“I’ll pass that along to Time.” Wild said with a nodd. The rock began to dim, the blue light faded with each word. “I’ll see you soon.” were the last words he said before he shut off his sheikah slate and the heroes gathered around a stone were plunged into quiet. Sky and Warrior stood from where they were crowded next to Wind and moved to other ends of the table. Hyrule stood to the back, unusually pensive. 

“So what do we do now?’ Four asked. He sat to Wind’s right with his knees pulled up to his chin, but he did not look small. He sat pensively overlooking the map of clock town, fingers traced over long dry ink. “We’re down four people. We still don’t know what this thing is or how to stop it. What are we even doing here?” 

Warriors nodded at Four’s words, but turned his focus to the book on the table before him. Wind knew the workings of Warriors mind well. Well enough to see the way he weighed his options carefully. 

“First we protect and evacuate the civilians.” Warriors said, his hand tracing the page with a small map at the top. The orange glow of the lamp Hyrule lit gave him a golden heu. His sharp features and clever grin were drawn in light and shadow, “There’s a spot on a beach not too far from here that the Local Zora say is warm enough to house people. We’ll set up tents there. Then, we get creative” 

Wind didn’t like the smile that curled over Warriors face as the word creative fell from his lips. It was the same kind of smile that Tetra had before her idea of “creative” shot him out of a canon. Warriors was nowhere near as terrifying as his pirate captain, but he kept a wary note in the back of his mind as he stood from his seat with a single question.

“What do you mean by creative?”

He shouldn’t have asked. Wind really should have known by now that asking means you get and answer. And that answer is walking with Hyrule through the overrun garden in North Clocktown that was the entrance to the Great Fairies Secret Lair. Hyrule insisted fairies didn’t have secret lairs, but nothing in the stone walls of this garden could have such a plain name like “fairy fountain”. Everywhere Wind looked he saw the echoes of the monster, the wraith, like shadows on a wall. Thick black lines of scorched earth from courtesy of Din’s fire cut through the dirt pathway. Bright pink flower pods the size of Four sat on barren patches of grass, the only things in this area unaffected by the chaos of last night. What he once assumed to be a healthy, vibrant place now seemed haunted. Every time he saw a flash of black on the ground he reached for his Wind Waker. All of Clock Town felt that way. He didn’t want to see it, didn’t want to see where Legend stood when he was bitten, or even glance at the place where the Wraith had raked it’s hand through stone walls, or spread out and nearly consumed them. .Just catching a glimpse of the scars from battle etched into the walls out of the corner of his eye sent a slimy crawling sensation through his body. He rubbed his hands along his arms, hoping to smooth the prickle of chicken skin. _ If you carry on like this, it will only get worse.. _ He thought as he went deeper past the courtyard and towards the park. _ Every step forward is better than standing still. _

Wind stepped lightly through the Northern Clocktown courtyard, or as lightly as he could with shriveled, dead leaves clumped to the ground in piles that hadn't been there the day before. The trees were now bare, their branches twisted and gnarled. All the bark on the trees had faded to a dull gray, the color of a fog. The only colors at all were the annoying piles of orange and gold on the ground. The leaves on the ground had congealed around mud and hid the winding roots that spread through the ground. These roots especially liked to trip him up. Each step he took echoed with a loud _ crunch _ as he pulled one foot after the other through the muck. They stuck to his boots, clung to his pant hem, and each step felt like a drag. Sometimes he stepped down harder than necessary just to feel the rush of crushing the stubborn things. 

_ Damn this! _ Wind thought, _ even the trees here turned against us! _ As soon as he thought it something hard hooked on his foot and he tumbled into a bed of leaves with a mighty _ crunch. _Earth and the slightly sweet smell of the decayed leaves overwhelmed him. These kinds of leaves, he decided as he plucked one off his head, are the enemy. His companion didn’t look like he agreed, based on the grin on his face.

“What kind of awful magic does this?” Wind groaned as Hyrule extended a hand and pulled him from the pile. 

“My favorite kind. Autumn.” Hyrule said. Wind threw a leaf at him. Bastard had the nerve to laugh. “Not all of us live on goddess made islands that never have seasons. You and Sky have the best reactions to the weather turning.” 

Wind dusted the dirt off his tunic with a sigh. He had been familiar with the season of fall enough through travel, but trees shedding their leaves and dying always seemed odd to him. The palm trees on his island never seemed to change. A palm tree was found to have grown an inch taller and it was all his grandmother talked about for a week. On Outset Island it felt like things never changed. Here, things change in the blink of an eye. Wind carried forward, stomping through the leaves and mud. The sooner they reach the secret lair the better.

“It’s too bad. This place could use a little island charm. No one ever got attacked by wraiths on Outset. If this were a giant bird I would have had this handled by now.” Wind said. Hyrule caught up with him easily, a lopsided grin on his face. He walked through the courtyard with one hand tracing the pale gray stones, unbothered by the memory of what covered them the night before. 

“You and Sky. You’ll be the first two I look for when a swarm of birds attack us for bread.” Hyrule said with a laugh. Wind shook his head slowly. 

“Only get Sky if you want to tame them. I have a bow and I know how to use it.” Hyrule playfully punched his shoulder, and Wind hit back just as gently. Their laughter echoed off the stone walls of the courtyard, where only trees could hear them. It didn’t last long. With each step they came closer to the stone arch way that led to the great fairy. The arch wasn’t very tall. Wind imagined Time would have to duck his head to avoid the ceiling, most adults probably wouldn’t fare much better. Normally, the entrance was hardly noticeable. Most of it was blocked by tendrils of ivy vines that curled and spiraled over the arch like a fine tapestry, but such rich greenery in the ravaged and dying courtyard garden was like a scream in the dead of night. On either side of the entrance, dull bronze balls tightly packed together formed the pattern of half of a heart, the hooks of which curled and spiraled inward

Hyrule pulled the vines back and stepped through the arch. Wind stood just behind him, peering down over his shoulder. The walls were narrow and tight, made of loosely packed stones stacked on top of each other. Some were larger oval stones the color of a bruise that looked as if they had been crudely shaped from their slabs and stacked haphazardly into the wall. Others were smaller, darker stones that seemed to swallow the light and were placed in neat rows an even length apart. Shell, coral, and all types of midden were inlayed into the walls. Wind could almost smell the salt from the ocean they came from, mixed with the sweetness of earth and the prickle of a smoke plume. Layers of earth and time had twisted and shaped itself into a gateway, the ivy that curled along the wall like a gentle hand beckoned them in. No light shone from the opposite side, the darkness was as thick as night and half as inviting. Grass, dirt, and dead leaves faded as they stepped over the crest of the entrance. The raw earth on the floor was firm and almost smooth. Wind clutched on the Hyrule’s shirt from behind. No point in letting himself slip after all.

Down, they went with each step.

Down into the heart of the earth.

Down into the fairies lair.

No fairy dwelled in exactly the same place. Wind’s fairies dwelled on their own islands, secluded from civilization. Wild’s fairies had dwelled inside massive flowers supported by a bridge of mushrooms that glowed in every color the eye could see. Each fairy was intrinsically part of the world in a way that defined it. As he stepped into the underground cavern Wind couldn’t help but feel this fairy lived in a holy ground. One that had been lost to Time and long forgotten. Where some fountains are inside flowers or lakes, this fairy rested in something built by Hylians. Hyrule and Wind walked towards a shallow pool of water. It looked about as deep as a communal bath at the distant end of it, with the shallow shores of the pool would likely only wet the hem of their trousers. There were no walls or ridges, the floor just sloped downward like the shores of the ocean. But where the ocean was always moving, always alive, the fairy fountain was still. Stagnant. Where the sea came with the smell of salt and the warmth of the sun, the fairy pool smelled sweet, somewhere between florals and rot, and was nearly devoid of light.

Slowly, the pool began to change. The dark, dull waters began to churn and shimmer at the edges. Still water rippled like it was struck by rain, each little ripple spiraled outwards into ridges and waves that sloshed against the shallow rim. Each ripple shone with a light blue light. At first the light was small, fragile, and scattered throughout the water. As the water churned and swirled the light moved with it. Streams of radiant blue danced through the water, strands came together and split apart. The cavern filled with the scent of cool water, fresh and light and healing. Wind couldn't help but breathe in, even as each breath sent a chill through his body. The water, now fully illuminated and glowing like someone had torn the moon from the sky, whipped up into the air. Each tendril of water curled and tied itself around another, and in the heart of the storm Wind could see the barest hint of a silhouette.

The soft curves of a woman’s body. 

The flutter of long, burning red hair. 

Two eyes that glowed with the color of the water. 

A powerful laugh, high and reedy but full of strength filled the cavern and rang through Wind’s ears. That laugh rolled through his body. It sent a shiver and a shake down his throat and through his heart. Chilling, that was the only word Wind had for it. It was not the word Wind would use to describe anything about the woman it belonged to. All fairies were larger than life, but this one seemed to emphasize life. She stood bare, wrapped in nothing but ivy vines, the same kind that hung in front of the entrance. Wind could not tell if the orange and pink that colored her eyelids and lips were natural markers or makeup. Either way they made the features of her face larger, bolder, and impossible to forget. Hyrule stepped forward, a smile on his tired face that deepened the lines of stress around his mouth. He raised a hand in greeting and a delicate hand that radiated with a soft silver glow met his. Ever the gentleman, the humble traveler knelt to one knee and laid a kiss on a hand that was far too big. 

“Back so soon, my dear?” The fairy said with a playful grin. Her blue eyes flickered to him, and Wind suddenly felt like a mouse who entered a lion's den. 

“My Great Lady, we humbly request your-”

“Oh stop with such formality.” The great fairy groaned, leaning against the air like she was lounging in a chair. Hyrule’s shoulders pulled back tense and straight, a bit of pink dusted his cheeks. “I have no time for formality, nore do I care to be praised and adored. Tell me why you’re here. I promise I won’t be mad.” She said flippantly, nearly singing her words. Wind couldn’t help but snort back a laugh. He liked this one already. The moment he laughed, her eyes met his and her grin widened. 

“You brought a friend this time.” She said as she turned languidly in the air to face him full. She layed belly down, legs crossed in the air behind her. Hyrule took a few quick steps back, narrowly avoiding collision with her. As she moved the wind in the cavern moved with her, and as each breeze whipped past his skin Wind felt more awake, and just a tad less grumpy. The great fairy looked over both of them with soft smiles as they stood before her.

“You’re just the spitting image of a boy I met once.” She said with a softer, almost wistful voice. “Why don’t you tell me boy, what did you come to me for?” Wind looked to Hyrule, unsure if he was asking for permission, forgiveness, or advice. Perhaps all three at once. He wasn’t sure of the exact etiquette when a giant naked woman who could turn you into a shrub decided you were her new ambassador. Then again what would it matter? He never cared for rules much anyway. 

“We need your help.” Wind said as he stepped forward. “The spider swarm that attacked last night wasn’t natural. We think they were part of something called a wraith. None of us have even heard of such a thing before and we’re running out of options. If you’re willing to work with us it would make things less terrible. Still pretty bad, but not terrible.” 

The great fairy paused. her smile dimmed and although she still met Wind’s gaze he could tell she was caught in her thoughts. She rested her hand on her cheek and let out a deep sigh that churned the wind. 

“A wraith. I haven't seen one of those in ages. It's never a good thing when those appear. I would have never guessed they could take the form of a hoard of animals. It must be born of powerful magic. You have whatever you need of me.” The fairy snapped her fingers and in her hand appeared a mask that looked disturbingly similar to her face. It looked far to flesh like to be comfortable around. “I have a few masks that can change your form if you’re interested? My favorite its the-” 

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Hyrule asked, almost cautious of the answer. The great fairy looked at him with confusion as she glanced from Hyrule to the mask. Then to Hyrule. Back to the mask. 

“The mask has special abilities that will-”

“No not about the mask.” Hyrule said. “What do you mean about being born of magic? What do you know about wraiths?” Wind hadn't seen Hyrule speak so forcefully in quite a long time. Hyrule was a tender hearted person, he could never say no to helping a stranger or lending a hand. But he was never one to be easily pushed. The last time Wind had seen him stand so tall and speak in commands had been when he defended his Zelda's good name amongst his own townspeople. He made them regret ever speaking ill of the princess Zelda’s affection for an unknown traveler. The glitter in the great fairy’s eye told Wind she found this Hyrule far more interesting. She smiled as she spoke. 

“Oh yes, I have seen a wraith before. Must have been a century ago now.” Amusement faded from her face. “What would you like to know?”

“How do you kill one?” Wind asked with no hesitation. The work ‘kill’ felt heavy in the air even though both himself and Hyrule we're no strangers to the act. The fairy considered him for a moment, her radiant blue eyes never lost their mild amusement.

“My dear,” She said languidly, “You can’t really kill what's already dead.” 

A sharp intake of breath filled the air, the only noise in the cavern. Wind wasn’t sure if it was Hyrule of himself, and to be quite honest he didn’t care. Wind encountered many things on the sea. Magic, monsters. People and cultures he had never dreamed of. Much of it was hard on both the body and the spirit, but he learned to push through. Pushing through and carrying on is all you can do when the ocean turns violent, when the seas scream, and when a blade is against your throat. Some would call it bravery, but for Wind it was a matter of pragmatism. It was something cold that whispered in his ear to dive deeper, to strike harder, to take the life of a madman who stands before you because if he didn’t it would be his blood on the floor. There were simply too many people who needed him to let that happen. Wind had endured a lot, and he didn’t hold back. But the words of the Great Fairy left him paralized. 

A shiver ran down his spine at the implication. The wraith was no ordinary creature, but an undead. Something that on every level of his being he knew should not exist. Wind could feel grey, rotted flesh barely the consistency of soft cheese against his skin. The imprint of boney fingers that dug into his neck. Jagged teeth against his cheek and the cold stench of stagnant blood that made him retch into his mouth. In the quiet, he could hear the faint echo of a shriek that left him stunned, with red eyes that were far too knowing for a corps. Redeads. Deadhand. These things that should not exist but did. The dead that refused to die. 

“Is there… Is there any way to seal it? Defeat it?” Hyrule asked, far more quietly. His throat sounded dryer to Wind’s ears.

“There is but I do not know how. That kind of magic is outside my realm of knowledge. As it should be to most people.” The core of Wind’s chest grew cold and tight. There was no accusation in her words, nothing to make him feel the guilt that washed over him and filled his gut. Hyrule didn’t react, but Wind wondered if he felt the same thing. He was suddenly very aware of how much power radiated off the great fairy.

“If someone were to know how to handle a wraith,” Wind began, cautious and careful, “would you be able to point us to them? Or give us a hint of where they might be?” The great fairy paused. Her smile had fully disappeared and the amusement that radiated from her like light had faded, replaced by worry. Wind didn’t know what she was considering. Squashing them like gnats? Telling them to leave empty handed? In Termina Wind had learned to be prepared for anything.Finally, she spoke. 

“Witches.” The fairy hummed, “Yes, yes, such a vile creature would only come from a witch’s magic. Though I don’t think either Koume or Kotake would set foot in this town. Not that I blame them.” The fairy spoke like she was caught in a dream. Or perhaps a memory. But where she had seemed lost in her thoughts before with doe like eyes looking through them, now she felt grounded. The cavern suddenly felt a thousand years older, and the woman before them stood as tired and worn as any mortal. It made the cold in Wind’s stomach spread up to his skin. 

“Why?” Hyrule asked “Why would they not want to come back. Are they responsible for this-”

“No, not Koume and Kotake.” The fairy snapped. “But coming back would bring up pain. And nothing feeds a wraith like pain. Much of this isn’t my story to share. You have my aid, whatever you need of me, I feel it’s best to leave the witch out of this. What is it that you need from me, children?” 

“Just one more question.” said Wind, who clenched his fists tight until his knuckles popped and kept his head high as he approached the fairy. He stepped one foot after another until the radiant blue water reached his knees. “Our friend is a witch. We don’t know a lot about the details, but he discovered he was a witch here, in this town. Is there anythi-”

“If he is a witch,” She said gently, as if in apology. “Then keep an eye on him. Especially in this clock town. You will have many eyes on you young heroes.” She looked Hyrule in the eye as she spoke. Wind did not envy being the object of the fairy’s gaze. “Not all of them are kind. That is all I shall say. Now, what sort of help do you need me to provide?”

That was the end of that conversation. The Great Fairy did not wish to say any more, Wind could tell by the way her arms crossed in front of her and her fingers tapped against her arm. Wind knew better than to tempt their luck. Still, her words sunk into his heart and head, and followed him out of that cavern. He and Hyrule didn’t speak as they stepped into the light of day. They had been underground for longer than he thought. The sky teetered on the edge of sunset, everything bathed in golden light as the sky was striped with pink. The softness of day mixed with dark thin shadows of trees and walls that stretched across the ground. The world felt still and quiet. Wind was inclined to be quiet. The town had mostly cleared out by now. 

They found the others in the encampment on the east side. The area around the exit was orderly chaos if Wind had ever seen it. People stuck close together, clumped in groups of families and friends as horses and wagons were being loaded with what supplies they could carry. Some were gathered near the entrance, others minded their supplies in the street. No one was more than an arms length away from someone else. Warriors and Sky stood by the exit, sending groups through one or two at a time. Shoulders back and heads held high they were every inch the knights they were trained to be. Four sat next to Legend, who looked like he had seen better days. The man leaned against the wall and Wind thought if he sat up he might faint. Legend looked up at them as they came closer and offered a weak but still just as smug smirk as any other day. 

“There you are. Your friends were getting worried about you.” Mayor Sophie greeted them, coming from seemingly nowhere. She stood tall, pale, and elegant, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her dark hair had been pulled up into a tight bun. It only served to highlight the sharp angles of her face. 

“Did the great fairy have anything good to say?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

“Kinda, She-”  
“She agreed to help us.” Hyrule cut in. “She even agreed to a role in battle, though I hope it doesn’t come to that.” In Hyrule’s face Wind could see he was being told not to speak on the matter.

“Well done. If you hold on for just a moment I’ll give you something to celebrate. A nice Clock Town specialty.” Well, she didn’t speak with words at least. But the smile she offered Hyrule didn’t reach her eyes, her every movement was stiff as she rummaged through the small basket on her arm. The dark circles around her already dark eyes made her look sunken, but they were swollen at the edges. She looked like a woman hollowed out by her life. As much as the woman unnerved him, Wind has never used that as an excuse to be less than kind. 

“How are you, Mis. Mayor?” Her head snapped up at his words. “You look like you could use a rest.” 

“Oh don’t worry about me. This is my job, after all. A leader who doesn’t take responsibility in a crisis never deserved the chance to lead. At least that’s what I think.” She murmured. She returned to her basket and pulled a golden brown bread bun the size of her fist out of two folded napkins. It was noticeably cold and the bottom of it sagged a bit, but the smell of crusty bread with a hint of citrus made Wind’s mouth water and his stomach gurgle. Sophie smiled, something that looked oddly ghostly on her face, and handed it to him. 

“These are a Clock Town favorite. I make them every year for the festival. These aren’t fresh but I try to help out where I can.” 

“What makes them special to Clock Town?” Wind asked as he examined the rather plain looking bun. 

“Technically nothing in the ingredients or how they're made. But they did almost cause a inter-provence war. We are now the only ones legally allowed to make them.” She turned from them, to where Warriors stood as he spoke with an elderly couple. “I’ll tell your friend to speak with you. I should take over directions now anyway, but Ser Link is a dedicated and stubborn man.” 

“It’s something we all have in common. We bonded over it.” Hyrule said. Mayor Sophie made no indication she heard him and started at Warrior's station. 

“There’s definitely something odd about this.” Hyrule murmured once she was out of ear shot. “Why is she working so closely with us?”

“She runs the town. Plus she’s a woman who breathes and that’s exactly Warriors Type.” Wind replied as he took a bite of the bun in his hand. A rich orange custard and pillow soft bread filled his mouth. He hadn't realized until that moment how hungry he was. He grinned into it, and offered the sweet bun to Hyrule, who shook his head and pushed it away. 

“I’m not hungry, Wind. Besides we don’t know if we can trust food here.” He didn’t spare Wind even a glance, his gaze fixed on where Mayor Sophie stood with Warriors. The two smiled in the cordial, easy way of people used to spotlight but Hyrule’s face was grimm. He might as well have been watching a sleeping Hinox. 

“What, do you think the Mayor is out to poison us?” Wind said with a flippant laugh. Hyrule glanced back at him thoroughly unamused. Wind took another bite of his bread. 

“The great fairy warned us that not everyone in Clock Town is our friend.” 

“That may be true, but we can’t assume everyone is our foe either. What has Mayor Sophie done to be suspected?” Hyrule stopped and ran his hands through his hair and down his neck. Wind looked at his friend and saw more than a friend and companion in that moment. He saw a boy not too much older than he was in worn out and ill fitted clothing that frayed at the edges and had been mended many times over. He closed his eyes and breathed in, and Wind could see the lean muscle of his body, the type one gets when they spend most of their life running. 

“We were warned by a great fairy about Clock Town, and she is it’s leader. It’s not personal, I’d just rather not take those kinds of risks.” Hyrule said. Wind considered him for a moment. He understood why Hyrule was this way. His life was more hectic than most of them. He had few reasons to make himself vulnerable. Still, to live a life with no trust, to assume the worst in everyone, that seemed like a way to make an enemy of the world. 

“I think you’re right to be cautious. But right now there’s still a lot that we don’t know and I would prefer to find out before we make any judgements.” 

“What judgements are we making?” Warriors’ asked. Wind and Hryle both jumped at the captain's voice. For a man in heavy armor Warriors had a light step. Wind and Hyrule looked to each other and back to Warriors, who looked refreshed if not polished. Although he was shorter than the average Clock Town citizen he stood larger than life. Broad shoulders with slightly tarnished armor were held perfectly back and straight. His smile was confident and sharp. He looked upon the city and the two of them kindly, a sense of cool radiated from him. Even in the middle of a strange town in the midst of tragedy Warriors was clean, precise, and put together. Wind often wondered how much work went into being exceedingly perfect. 

“The Great Fairy agreed to help us.” Hyrule said. 

“Wonderful news. I have a feeling that’s not what you were talking about.” 

“We found out something about the wraith.” Wind said. He glanced around the crowd of people. Many of them were not paying any attention to their conversation, but Wind didn’t want to risk saying anything that could cause a panic. Grandmother always said that people were dumber in crowds and if one person felt fear it would spread like fire. Wind pulled Warriors away from the crowd and towards their group. 

None of them seemed particularly lively, but as Wind, Hyrule, and Warriors approached everyone’s faces fell. Wind wished he could re assure them that he brought only good news, that now was the time to allow a modicum of rest. The world, however, did not care for what Wind wished or wanted. They huddled together and sat on the rough cobblestone street in a tight circle, careful so as not to be overheard and Wind told them everything. The nature of the creature they faced, it’s likely source, and the fairie’s warning. All of their faces grew more grim with each word. 

“There’s a lot we don’t know for certain. What we do know is the wraith is undead, and borne of witchcraft.” Wind finished as he looked around the group.

“Have you told Time this?” Sky asked. Wind shook his head. 

“We thought everyone here should know first.” Hyrule said. “There’s something odd about this town. I don’t know how but there has to be a connection between all of this. A through line between the wraith and whatever happened between the witches and clock town.”

“I’d have to agree.” Legend said. He rested his head in his hands and his voice had never sounded more brittle, yet all eyes turned to him instantly. “I have never known fate to be without reason. We are not sent to any land without a good cause. Whatever happened in Termina, we should work to resolve it.”

“That might be easier said than done.” Four said, “ Did the fairy offer any insight on how to defeat the wraith?”

“Just that a witch might be able too. Possibly she could, but she didn’t seem confident.”

“Except the two elder witches won’t set foot here,” added Hyrule, “and our only other witch is Wild. Who happens to not be here.” 

“Won’t that be for the best though?” Wind asked. He didn’t like the morose tint in Hyrule’s voice. “He might be safer. If I were a wraith I’d probably want the only person to threaten me dead.”

“And if I were the person who made a wraith,” Hyrule replied, “I’d want that threat out of the way.” Hyrule’s words settled over the group. He wasn’t cruel in his words. He didn’t need to be. Cruelty was for those who were unsure of what they wanted to say. 

“You’re talking about Mayor Sophie?” Warriors asked cautiously. 

“I’m not saying she’s evil,” Hyrule looked at Wind as he spoke, almost in apology. “But we should be careful of what we do and how much information we share as we try to figure this out.”

“I’d agree with Hyrule.” Said Four “Trust me, a spy can be anywhere.” 

Warriors nodded. He glanced briefly over to where Mayor Sophie directed her people to safety, but didn’t say anything further. How much did the captain agree with them, Wind wondered. 

“In any case, we should call Time about these developments. If anyone has experience with the undead it’s that crotchety old-” Sky paused mid sentence as a dark shadow swept over him. The cool chill of the breeze sent a shiver up Wind’s spine as the sun set over the horizon. Night had come. The chatter and murmur among families and friends died as the town grew dark. No one dared to even breathe. The town sat on a precarious edge, and everyone felt that if they held their breath, their tongue, and their bodies in suspense they could keep everything as it was. The world would not tumble into chaos. The danger would not come. All it took was a bit of sacrifice, as if the pain of silence could offset the embodiment of rage. For a minute after sunset nothing happened. Five minutes passed and people breathed again. At nearly twenty minutes past sundown People began to have a small glimmer of hope that normalcy had restored. People moved forward and continued to leave, to pack, to be free. Wind stood to call Time. He pulled the stone necklace out of his shirt and held it between his thumb and forefinger. _ There’s still time to act. _ He thought, _ hopefully I can reach them before anything bad… _

The stones under Wind’s feet shifted. He glanced down, heart suddenly too fast and too loudly in his ears, as small flecks of black oozed from the cracks between the stones in the street. Inky black flakes gave way to blobs of pitch that lifted from the street and into the air. They twisted, shifted and merged, absolutely all of them converted in the same spot. Nervous shrieks rolled through the crowd as the silhouette of something massive began to form in the center of the square. 

As the world tipped into chaos Wind felt silly for daring to hope. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point forward I will try to write faster to have things out sooner. Next Chapter Time & Wild have a heart to heart, and a race against the clock ensues.


	9. A battle of Equals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Wild sees Time interact with Termina and it's people, he comes to realize there is more to their leader than once thought. Time is pushed to open up about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments, kudos, and views! I always want to put out the best quality I can, so chapters tale a tad longer than what is Ideal. Luckily, I invested in a schedule book and I think I can start a routine of posting every two weeks! This chapter started life as something bigger and was split in two because of a tone shift. So, Ch 9 pt2 is ready to go (maybe it will be spruced up here and there) and If you would like I can post it tomorrow, or in two weeks to fit with the schedule. If you have a preference let me know! 
> 
> Enjoy Wild seeing Time's issues.

Wind’s face disappeared with a soft click. The home screen of the sheikah slate replaced the image of his friends. The soft blue light that radiated off the screen clashed with the strange red hue that colored the swamp. Wild could see his face in the glass. He never paid much attention to his looks, it was never the most important thing in the quest to free the divine beasts, but now he pours over the face on the screen. He wasn’t sure what he was trying to find. He knew there wasn’t a difference in how he looked today versus yesterday. His eyes were still wide and deeply set in his face, to the point they looked ringed with shadow. Pink scars still stretched across his right chin and cheek. There was nothing about him that looked particularly witchey, nothing that set him apart from a normal Hylian. He knew that wasn’t how this worked, but he looked for something anyway. If not looking for the signs of difference, then at least he could take solace in being the same. 

Wild leaned against the wall of the hut with a deep sigh. He pulled the Sheikah slate to his side and set it back at the holster on his hip. _ I’m being ridiculous. _ He thought, _ If the others could see me like this they would never let me live it down. Even Warrior would think I'm over dramatic. _

Wild shook his head. There was no use in sore feelings, and whining won’t make him any less of a witch. Perhaps being a witch wasn’t so bad. It would explain his skill with potions and how easily he took to being in nature. The title did answer a question about his past, even if it was a question he didn’t ask for. But for one question answered several new ones took its place. A witch is only born to another witch. Now the question is, where did magic in his lineage come from? Did it even matter? His parents would be long dead in his time. 

“Wild!” Time called his name and Wild jumped in his skin. Time stood below the hut and near the waters of the swamp. He waved to Wild lazely. “Did the call go well?” He yelled. Wild never cared to raise his voice, and this topic especially isn’t one to be shouted from the rooftops. With a tired sigh he hopped up on the ledge of the deck and leapt off it, much to Time’s surprise. The rush of air lifted his hair and his stomach dropped as he fell to the ground, his paraglider deployed at the halfway mark so he could drift to Time’s side. His boots sunk into the muddy shore as he landed. Time shook his head but looked at him with a wry humour. 

“There was a perfectly good later you could have used.” 

“Sure, but jumping is more fun.” Wild said with a smirk. Time was stoic as ever. When Wild first met Time he thought the old man hated him. Time could be strict. He liked to use specific tools for specific problems and while he had a keen mind for combat it was rooted in years of practice, of traditions and order. He had no problem telling Wild he was being a fool or that he was insane or improper. His flat way of speech and rough voice had a way of cutting even when he meant to be kind. Though they shared the hero's spirit, Time and Wild were fated to be opposites. Time relished the quiet and peaceful moments of life. Wild felt the most alive when he dove headlong off a cliffs point and into the strange and unknown. Time learned young that being reckless can have a high cost. Wild knew the pain of being too cautious and letting doubt into your mind. Time learned how to survive a dangerous world through making order and controlling what he can. Wild survived by being the danger. Now, after extensive travel together, he could tell a little more easily what Time really thought of him. His lips had the faintest hint of a smile, but his gaze was kind and his eye betrayed his humour. 

“How did the others take it?” 

“Frustrated. We split up and wasted time coming here, but we still don’t really know how to defeat a wraith.” Wild replied without looking at Time. He focused on the swamp and it's bubbling water with a light pink tint from the sunlight. It was too muddy to sparkle in the light, but it was pretty in it's own eerie way. It was easier to talk if he didn't have to look Time in the eye, especially about something so sensitive.

“And the other news?” Time asked. 

“They seemed happy for me.” Wild murmured. Time rested a hand on his shoulder. “My personal issues aren’t as important, but I’m certainly happier with vague support than being chased out of the group.” 

“That would never happen.” Time said quickly, “Besides whatever witch magic you possess, I guarantee most of us have seen weirder.” Time reached into the pack at his side and pulled out a large mask. It wasn't like the colorful and unique masks that they all showed off around a campfire, like Wind’s bunny hood or Wild’s cursed mask. This looked like the face of an ordinary man. Red bangs were carved into the forehead to give the illusion of hair that might move in the right light, and the mouth was painted with a wide toothy grin. It reminded Wild of the fake smile merchants and salesmen in his world often put on if they wanted to sell you something. The only other feature were the eyes, or rather the fact that the mask’s eyes, and eye slots, were shut. It was impossible to see out of. 

“A new one for your collection?” 

Time nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the mask as if the plain face were an old friend. 

“Yes, Koume had it in her gift shop. She said the previous owner bargained with it because he was bored of it. So she accepted it as payment.” Time held it up with one hand as he inspected the inside of it and aligned it with his face. “But I believe I know who owned this face last. I met him in Clock Town and his wares were always unusual. Some had powerful magic. Perhaps…” He lowered the mask down to his face, head tilted up to keep it balanced. He was still. The only sounds in the swamp were the soft hooting of owls. After almost a minute Time pulled the mask from his face with a sigh. “I suppose this wasn’t one of them.” 

“Is this where you got all your masks?” Wild asked. Time grinned as he turned to Wild. 

“Only the most dangerous ones. This place draws in powerful things. Powerful people too. I suppose that’s something I missed about it.” 

“I thought you hated this place?”

“I do. I never wanted to set foot here again. But sometimes I missed it.” Time said as he put away his mask. He stopped for a moment to look out over the swamp and Wild got the sense that there was more to Time’s relationship with Termina than it first seemed. 

“What was Termina like when you were here?” Wild asked slowly, cautiously. Time looked at him and Wild instantly felt a cold shutter down to his stomach. It felt wrong to ask something so personal of him. Wild braced for a scolding but Time simply smiled. 

“So curious about Termina today. I suppose it can’t be helped. All you need to know is that Termina is where I learned the true definition of power. I thought after defeating Ganon that I could face anything. This place showed me there is far more to the world than heroes and monsters. I suppose I’m grateful. It was a trial by fire, but in a way, I wouldn’t be who I am without it.” Time started to walk back to the witch's hut, his face a mask all its own. Wild followed not far behind. Time was hiding something, that much Wild knew, but what or why Wild couldn’t tell. If it were important Wild trusted that Time would tell them, but for now it was probably best not to pry. 

Wild and Time walked in to see Twilight and Koume each with a cup of tea in their hands. They sat across a table, a deck of regular playing cards sat with a full hand on either side. A single iron pot in the center between them. It filled the room with a bright, floral scent and Wild couldn’t help but breathe it in. After the sulphuric smell of the swamp, the smell of a stuffy room with tea was practically heavenly. Koume raised her cup to welcome them in. Twilight turned to glare at them from his chair. 

“That must have been some slate message. You were gone for hours.”

“It was barely twenty minutes.” Time said amusedly. He walked through the room with a cat’s smirk on his face. 

“Felt like hours.” Twilight grumbled under his breath. Koume stirred her tea with her pointer finger in lazy circles as her eyes flickered between the two of them. 

“Yes, yes, time does seem to escape us in this part of the world. Perhaps you move too fast and our time seems slow. Others have said the days pass by in a blink.” She said in a low and rugged tone. Twilight considered her for a moment before he shook his head. 

“I think it’s because I’m losing at this game.” He sighed. Koume grinned wider, the wrinkles and deep lines of her face stretched and twisted as she laughed. Twilight’s cheeks flushed a light pink. He made no secret in his feelings.

“A good soul like you would struggle with these cards.” She craned her head towards Time with a sly grin. “I’m sure you’d do much better, Hero of Time.” 

“Oh I have no doubt.” Time said with amusement in his voice. “However I have no time for games, Koume.” Koume groaned. With a snap of her long and withered fingers the cards realigned themselves, shuffled by unseen hands until they formed a neat pile in the center of the table. Twilight jumped back in surprise but Koume seemed entirely bord with her actions. 

“I’m afraid I have no more information for you. You’ll have to find someone else to do your deeds for you, or solve your own problems. You should be good at that by now.” She said. Her words were a clear attempt to bait Time, to get some kind of reaction if only for her own amusement. Wild couldn’t help but be reminded of Revali. In every memory they shared he tried to get under Wild’s skin and delighted in riding the line of teasing and harshness. Revali wanted to prove something, though what Koume wanted Wild was unsure. 

“Besides,” She said, “You should know there are beings more powerful than I in this world. I’m sure you can find some deity to beg to for help.” Time regarded her with cold eyes. The glimmer of warmth that was ever present when he talked with Twilight or any of his fellow heroes was gone. Where there once was light, Wild could see shadows. 

“I’d rather consider other alternatives. How did you defeat the wraith one hundred years ago?” Time spoke unwaveringly. Koume paused, head tilted up as she considered the question. She took a long, deep sip of tea before she spoke, as if their quest were less important than quenching a thirst. 

“We cut off the source of power it feeds upon. That is what makes a wraith so formidable. They pull from the world and people around them, turning them into a living feast. Although what they feed on varies. Depends on how they were made. After that, it is simple to use magic to deal with the soul.” 

“Wraiths are made?” Twilight asked. His brows were furrowed as he leaned in closer to Koume as she spoke. She gave him a gentle, pitying look. 

“Oh my naive heroes, a wraith is no natural being. It is the embodiment of rage. A sign something wrong has occurred.” Wild’s stomach dropped. The skin and hair on his forearms prickled. Koume spat her words like a curse. The candles in the room flickered and dimmed, their warmth dying with Koume’s. An unnerving feeling settled in him.

“What kind of wr-”

“How do we find what it feeds on?” Time cut Wild off. He didn’t notice that the boy had spoken, his gaze fixed upon the crone. 

“That requires a bit of attention be paid. Wraiths are not mindless. They won’t feed just to feed, but if it wants more power for vengeance then it will need to consume something of equal measure.” The room fell quiet. In his Hyrule, Wild was used to observing a monster before striking. Often he would scout from a tree or a high up ledge and take in how they behaved, what was available to use against them. He didn’t know how he could do that with this creature. It acted too quickly, and grew exponentially. It was fortunate that Wind and the others had found it before it completely surprised them all. 

“I’m sure we can find a way to cut it off. Perhaps with magic items?” Time asked. Twilight shook his head, never one to be excited about the use of magic. Koume considered Twilight and Time for a moment, before she turned to Wild. He froze under her gaze, but as Time and Twilight continued to talk about magic he felt something rise in his chest. The spark of an idea and a question that wouldn’t leave him. Nervously, Wild stepped away from Time’s side and towards the table. 

“What if,” he said, unsure of himself. “I could do it?” 

The air left the room as soon as he said it. Time and Twilight stopped to stare at him. Twilight’s face was that of someone stunned, his eyes wide and head tilted slightly. Wild knew that look well. The silence in the room was broken as Koume threw her head back and let out a hearty, throughty, and rough laugh at the suggestion. Wild felt his face flush redder than even Twilight’s. 

“Ohahahah! Oh my dear, my dear,” she chuckled as she tried to regain composure. “That would be quite a feat.” Koume wiped a tear from her wrinkled cheek. “While you do have power, you are untrained. Uninitiated. Witchcraft may follow the blood but it is a skill like any other, one that requires work. Could you brute force your way through some of what’s necessary? Perhaps. But the soul work required to handle a wraith is far more skill and power than what you have right now.” 

Wild’s mouth went dry and he clenched down on his jaw to keep a calm face. His gaze darted to the ground, not eager to keep contact with anyone. He wouldn’t be enough. He couldn’t help. What good was knowing he’s a witch if he was still useless? His mind began to sink into a familiar sense of dread when a large, warm arm wrapped around his shoulder. Time stood next to him, completely unbothered. He stood his ground as he looked at the witch. 

“I wouldn’t laugh too hard if I were you. If our Wild hero commits to something he has proven to be an unstoppable force.” Time radiated pride and certainty with every word. Wild’s ears burned from it. 

“You’re one to talk. If you wanted to end this, we both know you could. You have the tools from your last journey here, don’t you?” Koume retorted. Something passed between him and Koume. She gazed at him with knowing eyes, her mouth curled in a sharp and cruel smile. Wild had never been interested in betting on Time’s age. He knew well enough that what you look like and what you are in your head are very different things, and can often be incongruous. He had long since made peace with his own place out of time. But as Time glared at Koume, Wild could see a shift in his face. In his eyes. As the candles in the room flickered and cast their shadows, Time’s face was not that of a humble hero who sought the aid of a wise woman, but of someone as withered and ancient as the witch before him. A battle of equals. 

Wild felt, not for the first time, there was something deeper at play. He looked to Twilight for grounding, for clarity. His friend always kept a cool head, even when Wild let his emotions carry him away. Twilight, unfortunately looked just as lost as Wild felt. He sat on the edge of his seat, body coiled and tense and ready to spring forward. Wild wished he could go to him. Instead he offered a weak smile and a nod. He was fine if he was with Time. 

“You overestimate me,” Time said with a dark laugh. “I am not as powerful as you remember. Nor am I foolish enough to pursue such power.” 

Koume nodded slowly. 

“Fine then. Do things the difficult way. I’ll send you on your way with a few potions. That’s all the help I’ll be.” Koume grumbled. She stood and shuffled away to the back room of the hut. Wild wasn’t sure how the hut had more than one room, and now wasn’t the time to ask. He buried the question of enchanted rooms and traded it for a question of a different nature. 

“There has to be something I can do.” Wild said as Koume’s hand pushed the back door open. She glanced back to look at him, and looked very annoyed that he dared speak. “Please. I’m no stranger to trials and initiation. You could train me. Is there anything I can do?” The witch did not regard him kindly. Any fun she had had toying with them was replaced by a tired frown. 

“There are certain rituals for those who strayed from witchcraft. A way for them to connect to themselves.” Koume spoke with a heaviness in her voice. “It is not for the faint of heart. It requires much dedication, and everything could be for naught. But if you are willing to pay the price for power, I suppose there is a way to do anything.” She did not let her guests see her face, and no one pushed her further. They had tested enough of her boundaries for one day. The three men stood in silence, unsure of what to say as she disappeared behind the wooden door. 

“You two will be the death of me.” Twilight said as he took a sip of tea. 

“The two of us?” Time asked, visibly confused. 

“Yes, the two of you. Playing mind games with an old crone whose help we still need? What were you hoping to get from that?” Twilight said. He rested his face in his hand and regarded Time and Wild with annoyance. 

“Koume is harmless. She talks a big game but trust me, she wouldn’t hurt us.” Time said almost flippantly. He took Koume’s chair for himself and sat in front of Twilight. 

“I trust you, Time, because I have no other choice. I don’t know anything or anyone in this world, I can only rely on your word. I just… I wish you would tell us more.” Twilight spoke gently. He was never the type to make demands or push too far, but Wild would be lying if he said he didn’t agree. Wisdom meant nothing if it wasn’t shared, and anything to do with Termina rested in Time’s head alone. From what Koume had implied, there was much more in there than memories of sadness and pain. 

“This place is not easy to discuss.” He murmured. “Much of it blurred together. Some of it is hard to explain.” 

“What did she mean by ‘you could end this’?” Wild asked. Time shook his head vehemently. His lips moved but he struggled to speak, until he finally found the words he needed.

“When koume knew me last perhaps I could.” Time shifted in his seat, his armor clicked with each stiff movement. He ducked his head away, unwilling or unable to meet their eyes. In the shadows brought by the dim candles and nearly setting sun, he looked older, wearier, more tired than he had before. “I was reckless. I had powerful tools, yes, but to use them came with a cost. When I was young I didn’t care to think of a cost. Now, it is all I think about.” Time was a man of many regrets. Wild knew it from the first day they met. There was an understanding of deep regret between them. On days where the band of heroes faced danger at the hands of monsters hungry for blood, Time was in control of that regret. On days where they sat around a table, left to reflect on their actions, regret filled Time’s words and weighed on his shoulders. Wild understood that. This was perhaps the first time, however, he could see it in his person so clearly. 

“I understand why you want that power Wild.” He said slowly, “But consider a cost before you make a deal. Even if it’s with Koume.” 

“It’s not about power. I just don’t like feeling useless.” Wild said. 

“You are not useless, and you certainly don’t need magic. Just be your usual self and you’ll probably scare the damned thing away. Magic,” He growled, “is nothing but trouble. You two are proof of that.” Twilight downed the rest of his tea, while Wild and Time shared a silent laugh between them. Suddenly, with a digital chirp, Wild’s sheikah slate blared to life, the harsh blue light filled the room and Wind’s panicked voice filled Wild with dread.

“WILD! TIME! Everyone get back to Clock Town now! We need help! The wraith is back but its… it's different than before.” 

  
  



	10. Burn The Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild and Twilight enter Clock Town with a plan. Plans never survive contact with the enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the meanest thing I have ever done to someone. Sorry Wild.

In the newborn night of Termina Field the only sound that could be heard was the growl of the Master Cycle Zero. It’s engine whirred and strained from the constant pressure until it became a monotonous buzz mixed with the crunch and crush of dirt and rock beneath the tire. It was a deafening machine, it’s roar was just as intimidating as any beast made of blood and bone. It never fell quiet. It never paused for breath. Its lifeless body was a scream in constant motion, a warning to all to stay out of it’s path if breathing was of any value to you. A sentiment echoed in the mind of it’s riders. Wild took a shuddering breath of frigid autumn air. The taste of night and sweet grass kept his mind clear as he throttled the bike. _ All that mattered was getting to Clock Town. Getting to their friends. Getting to the families and innocent lives before it was too late. _ Those words had been a mantra, a prayer, a plea. They filled his mind with every breath and pushed him to urgency. He and Twilight had left almost immediately after Wind’s call. The trip from the southern swamp to Clock Town was thirty minutes by horse, but the Master Cycle could get them there faster. Still, night fell quicker than prepared for. 

Long stretches of darkness made travel feel fruitless, as if he and Twilight were hurtling through nothingness. There were no trees, no rocks, or slopes, or valleys, just a long stretch of grass dyed black. In some ways it was a blessing. The flat empty fields allowed them to keep straight. The curse came from the sudden sense of being small, and so very vulnerable to the world around him. Ever since Wind’s call, Wild had fought back a gnawing sense of dread. A whisper that came to him when he was alone in the plateau, and all he knew was a world hungry for his blood, had returned to his mind. _ Be prepared to fight for every next breath. _

It was not a welcome thought. He did not welcome the clench in his stomach that came with simply breathing, but as he pushed the beast faster he couldn’t deny it’s effectiveness.. Twilight’s grip on him tightened. His companion had never been fond of his ‘Vah Epona’, but he was not so prideful or stubborn as to take a slower method and allow Wild to go alone into danger. He joined Wild on his machine, while Time would follow behind on Epona, unable to fit on the motorcycle with his protege. Slowly, the bleak fields grew lighter as the burning red light of Clock Town slowly grew in the distance. 

It started as a small shimmer of red. A star in the distance the color of fire. For a brief moment it offered hope. The wraith had not conquered the town, their friends found a way to hold out. Words Wild would think to himself to quell the worry that weighed in his chest. As they got closer and closer and the light got brighter, and clearer, those words felt foolish. The clock tower that stood above the city glowed a deep flame red. It stood against the night sky surrounded by smoke, but itself untouched by flame. 

The gates to the city were closed. Black veins like those on the bitten wove through the wood and kept it sealed. Twilight reached with bare hands to pull it apart, but before he could touch it Wild pulled him away. Whatever this was, it reminded him far too much of malice for touching it to be a good idea. This would require more than strength, just as Koume said. Wild parked his Master Cycle and reached for the Sheikah Slate. The light was dimmer than before. Wind’s face appeared faint. His chest and shoulders rose and fell slowly and shook with each breath. 

“Are you here?” He sounded nearly panicked. Wind’s face was covered in soot and ash. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face from a cut in his brow. He looked older than his fourteen years, more like a soldier than a child. 

“Twilight and I are just outside the gates. You guys?” Wild said coldly. He hated when he sounded like that, so heartless. 

“We’re scattered. Hyrule and I are on the roof of a bank or something. Sky and Warriors are still fighting it. It attacked City Hall and it… it’s searching for something again. It’s different now-” Wind stopped as the scream of a woman in pain. He glanced behind himself as the blood left his face and his eyes grew panicked. Wild had never seen the Hero of Wind so shaken. Twilight stepped closer to the slate and almost tore it from Wild’s hands.  
“Are there townsfolk with you?”

Wind shook his head.

“Not really. Most people headed to the library for safety. There’s a few stragglers, but I-I don’t know if they can make it. There’s these things all over the town. Don’t let it see you if you don’t want to be stung. They see for it. For Her.”

“Are you-”

“I’m fine.” Wind said with a weary sigh. “Just be careful. Try to get any townspeople to safety. I…” Wind staggered. Something had rocked the building they stood on. The crash of stone and wood echoed twice, once off the walls of the city and again through the sheikah slate. Wild could do nothing but watch as the pendant flickered and died as it and Wind rolled off the roof. 

“Wind!” Wild gasped. The blue light of the sheikah slate flickered once, twice, and passed into darkness. With it went any hope of seeing Wind. His chest grew tight as he waited for Wind to pick up again. Because he would pick up again. There were many members of the group who could be thoughtless when it came to how the others worried for them, and Wind was just not one of them. A minute passed. The silence grew. The screen stayed a stubborn mess of grey and black, and Wild pressed every button determined to be more stubborn still. He only stopped when a hand covered the screen, and slowly pushed the slate down. A sudden reminder he was not alone, though not at all a comforting one. He looked to Twilight for answers, for clarity, but his mentor stood with his mouth pressed into a fine line and his gaze towards the flames of the city. 

“Don’t worry about Wind. We have to focus on getting in and doing what we can.” He said with not an ounce of inflection. Not a hint of worry. 

“How can you say that!” Wild nearly screamed. “He could be hurt, we can’t just leave him.” Wild may be many things, a failure, a klutz, a hopeless fool, but he would sooner die by his own hand than let his loved ones suffer. He would never be cruel. Angry heat coiled and twisted in his chest as he stepped into Twilight’s space. Twilight didn’t flinch.

“Wind is’t alone. He has Hyrule and besides that, he happens to be a very competent hero. He’s the most likely to pull through a disaster. Can you say the same for the people of Clock Town?” Twilight’s glare was never actually intimidating, but it was penetrating. For all that he got flustered over things of little consequence he knew how to keep a level head when it counted, and cut through the heat of the moment. Possibly the part of Twilight he liked the least was how often he was right. there is no use in being worried and nothing of benefit in running off half cocked with nothing but righteous fury behind him. Wild slowly exhaled as he nodded in understanding, if not agreement. Twilight gave him a smile, a pat on the shoulder, and got to work immediately.

The plan to enter the city was simple. Wild has been known to climb mountains and monsters alike. He pulled out the mountain climber set for Twilight to use, while Wild scaled the wall free handed. Twilight didn’t look happy with the set, for one thing he was only just able to fit in it. He moved stiffly in it, careful with how he raised his arms and bent his knees. Nevertheless, he did not complain because the harness and clips on the clothing would help him more than the tightness would hurt him. Wild found his footing in the stones easily, and with Twilight secured behind him they ascended the side of the gates of Clock Town with nothing but the silver glow of the moon and the flame of the city for light. The walkway of the city walls had no lights or torches, but was shrouded in a golden orange glow. As Wild climbed up to it, the autumn air that nipped at his ears and cheeks faded into warmth. As Wild wasn’t nervous about what they would find on the other side. They knew what awaited them. A sky painted completely black with smoke, and the all too familiar scent of burnt flesh told them all they needed to know. 

Twilight and Wild reached the top of the wall, and peered into the city with caution. The city hall had been gutted. The face of the building had been ripped open with the ruined halls and rooms exposed to the city. Five long gashes cut through brick and wood and glass, the debris scattered along the ground in piles. The same was true for most of main street. Homes, gone. Shops, gone. Places where people shared their lives were crumbled, only the bones of the buildings stood against the night air. What buildings still stood had long, deep cuts along their sides. It was as if a rabid animal had cut into the town. What hadn't been crushed had been consumed by flame. Wild was used to destruction, his hyrule was littered with the ghosts of villages and cities, but those were still just ghosts. They were the echoes of distant battles. He hadn't truly seen a city in its death throes before. As stoic as he pretended to be, he couldn’t stop the ache in his heart. 

“Be careful. We are not dealing with an ordinary fire.” Twilight caught Wild’s attention and pointed to the street below. Flame that filled the streets and wreathed the wounds of the buildings. The flames burned hot but they did not spread far, despite the debris of Clock Town offering it plenty to feed on. Thin spirals of flame wound its way along each building. They flickered and shuddered like a weak heart beataround the pustules that bulged at the edges of each building. Wild stepped a little closer to the ledge of the wall. 

“What is it?” Wild spoke mostly to himself and expected no answer. He pulled out his slate and focused the camera on the sacks that littered the buildings. Black ooze bubbled from the edges of each sack and ran down the sides of buildings in thick, almost bloody streaks. They didn’t move, nore did they seem like anything living. Were these the sentinels Wind had warned them about? Perhaps they would open into eyes, like the Malice Wild was so used to mucking through in his own world?

A tap on his shoulder cleared his thoughts. Twilight turned him towards the building adjacent to them, the bakery that had been overflowing with the smells of bread and cake just hours before, bled from a sack nestled between three gashes that sliced through it’s name. One moment the thing was still, the next it contracted. Wild’s stomach churned as the inkey liquid dribbled down the building as it tensed and released, consistently faster and faster. Something was being pushed out of it. Wild had seen enough horses in labor to recognize the birth of a new creature. The skin of the pustules peeled back as eight long spindly legs poked through. Pincers tore and snapped through the skin, hungry and angry. As it dug it’s legs into the wall and pulled itself down and out, a bulbous spider body in dark red emerged. Slowly, and deliberately, as it lowered itself down to the ground it raised its head in their direction. One single yellow eye opened. 

Twilight pulled Wild down to the floor immediately. All he could see was the rooftops that still stood and the sky. The creature clicked it’s mandibles, and several others responded in kind. There were more. He and Twilight remained pressed to the floor. Wind’s warning was the only thing that kept his hands away from his slate and a blade. He breathed in as the clicking stopped. The spiders moved on like dutiful soldiers in search of whatever it’s master wanted. 

“We can sit up now. They’re still out on the street, so be careful.” Twilight whispered as Wild sat up. 

“Do you think this is what it feeds on? Pure chaos?” 

Twilight shook his head. Wild had never seen him so quiet. 

“One thing is clear, this isn’t something we win by going on the attack right now. We should head to the library first. Tend to the sick and go from there.” Twilight whispered. Wild nodded. He wasn’t a leader, nor a warrior, but he considered himself a pretty good survivalist. All his instincts told him were to stay hidden if he didn’t want this to be a suicide mission. 

“We should go by the rooftops.” Wild said as he pulled up his slate and turned on the scope function. With a hand on Twilight’s fur he pulled his friend down to his height, until their eyes were level and they could see through the slate together. “If we take the streets there will be too much debris. Plus, I want to avoid a direct tangle with those things.” He pointed to the eye that hovered in the street. Twilight nodded slowly. Wild could never tell what he was thinking when he got like this. It was an odd feeling. Usually he felt like he and Twilight were two of a kind. 

“Sounds like a wise decision.” Twilight sounded confident, but Wild couldn’t shake the feeling of doubt in his mind. A nervous flutter that filled his heart. Were any of the injured alive? Would they find them? Twilight stood on the edge of the wall. He looked over the flames and ruin of the city with a quiet strength Wild envied. He looked undaunted by the scale of the destruction around him. 

Wild readied his paraglider and the two from the wall to the roof of the nearest building. Twilight held the paraglider while Wild held onto his back. It was a simple jump, one Wild could do in his sleep. He wasn’t worried, even as he felt Twilight’s heart beat faster as they approached the ledge. Wild squeezed his shoulders gently. 

“Just keep your eyes open and jump.” He said confidently. Twilight stayed quiet. He took a deep breath as he leapt into the air. Far from the cool night air of the wilds, Clock Town air was hot and nearly scorching from the fires that snaked through the streets and up buildings. His eyes stung as the updrafts caught them, and carried them higher into the sky. Wild savored the safety of an updraft. More than once he would set them intentionally for an advantage in a fight. Some called it arson or cheating, but to Wild it was just a way to see the next day. High above the flame of the city the stars were painted nearly golden. It wasn’t until a crash of stone and streams of smoke and dust covered the stars. The hat shop they had aimed for collapsed, each floor collapsing upon itself. Gusts of debris and smoke filled the air and in an instant Wild and Twilight were sent into an out of control spiral. 

Wild swore under his breath as Twilight kicked his legs, trying anything to keep them up. He held his breath as he tried to keep as much dust and smoke out of his body as possible. His mouth was dry with it and his eyes stung and watered. He had gone into a tailspin before when a bokoblin shot down his paraglider with a fire arrow, but there were no safe trees or rocks to land on. He needed to jump, needed to let Twilight go so he could fly to safety and Wild could sneak back to him. If he stayed he would drag them both down. His grip loosened on Twilight’s shoulder, before Twilight held on to his arm in one hand, and the two of them slammed into a ledge. A jagged window sill caught Twilight in the mid section. Wild fell from his back, Twilight’s one arm kept him from a fall as his back hit the side of the building. Pain riddled his back. His vision swam, the street and the world around him became a blur of color and shapes. Twilight’s grip was all that kept him from the rubble and the fire. 

“Twi?” He groaned. His friend was silent and a spike of fear filled his heart. “Twilight?” 

“I’m fine.” He murmured. Slowly he began to pull himself and Wild forward and up through the window. Wild pulled himself the rest of the way. He collapsed on his side, chest and body tight, but his vision cleared bit by bit. Blurred bits of green and pink became a set of old love seats covered in cloth. The white blob to the left of him was a bed recently overturned and stripped down. Bits of clothing and old books littered the wooden floor. Slowly, Wild got to his feet. This was a tiny bedroom, perhaps above one of the shops. A bedroom now devoid of most of what makes rooms like this warm and loving. 

“You know, I think I like gliding as much as magic.” Twilight groaned as he spoke. He struggled to sit up, one hand pushed him up from the floor while the other guarded his stomach.

“Are you okay? Can you stand?’ Wild whispered. He knelt next to his friend and helped him up slowly. 

“My pride hurts more.” He said like a scolded child. 

“Well, that could sometimes use wounding.” Wild said. His eyes were on Twilight’s stomach, and the blood that spread despite Twi’s best attempts to cover it. Spots the size of finger tips, but Wild had more than enough experience with small wounds that became big problems to feel secure in it. There was a saying that the food of Hyrule could heal the soul, but travelers whispered that his food healed the body. Words he once assumed were flattery may now be far more true than he once realized. 

“You should eat something.” Wild reached for his slate while he spoke. 

“I don’t think now is the time to be snacking.” 

“No but…” _ but sometimes my food heals people through witchcraft? _“I think I might be able to help. Sometime, when I was traveling by myself, I would eat to feel stronger. Faster. Even to mend wounds. Zelda always said it was my mind tricking my body into doing that, but now I think it might be some kind of witch… thing.” To say the words felt utterly ridiculous. An unease filled him whenever he had to speak about himself or his strengths. Especially with something new to him, a skill he felt he hadn't really earned yet. It felt too much like drawing attention to himself. 

“You want me to be your test subject?” Twilight asked without a hint of fear or mocking tone. He was simply earnest. Wild reached for his slate and pulled out two rice balls stuffed with beef and pepper sauce.  
“It beats you bleeding in the middle of a strangers home.” Wild offered the food to him. Twilight took it with no hesitation, and ate them both quickly and with such poor manners that Time would scold him if he were present. 

‘_ Click, click click’ _ Wild held his breath as a spider sentinel made itself known. It grew steadily closer. Wild summoned a bow and Twilight raised a shield. A single long spider leg stepped into the edge of the window. More legs, long and thin like needles, appeared as Wild hid behind Twilight's shield. He peeked around his friend’s shoulder with his bow drawn, and as the spider shoved it’s bulbous body through the open wall. It hissed and clicked, the center of it’s massive eye a long slit.

Twilight charged forward swiftly, sword in hand. He dove forward, and the spider side stepped. It was quicker than it looked, Twilight’s sword only grazed it’s side. With a hiss the spider reared up on four of its legs and attempted to slam down on Twilight. Twilight blocked, his sword kept it’s two front limbs in the air. He leaned back as the Spider snapped it’s pincers inches from his face. Wild shot an arrow straight through its eye. One shot in the center of the pupil and it popped into a puddle of goo. They waited a minute to see if it would reform, but the sentinel stayed dead. 

“I think we’ll keep this formation.” Twilight said as he poked the goo with the tip of his boot. Wild hummed in agreement. Twilight stood tall and without pain. A few bloody pinpricks across his belly spread no further. Wild smiled, more for himself than for anything. Perhaps being a witch would be worth it if he could soothe his friend’s pain, even a little. It certainly proved to be useful. He didn’t dwell on the thought for long. They carried on up the slightly damaged stairs and to the roof. Twilight in front of Wild with his shield raised, and Wild behind with a bow. 

The library was two blocks north of the town square. Normally it would be quicker to go west of the clock tower and north two blocks, but the main roads were filled with too much destruction and the watchful eye of sentinel spiders. Instead, a slightly indirect route took them first to the North and then on a straight shot West. Wild thanked the golden goddess herself that they need not navigate winding streets or dense woodland. At the end of a long darkened road would be their destination. Whether their destination was worth it, or even still stood, was another matter. Most of the townspeople were supposed to be out of the town and in a camp towards the beach by now. Empty streets and darkened houses seemed to confirm that. The further away from the center of town the more the city looked merely abandoned instead of destroyed. The stones in the streets were not upturned. The houses did not threaten to collapse as Wild and Twilight moved along their roofs and swung from chimneys. As they checked for stragglers in need of help they were greeted with evidence that the living had long vacated the homes and shops they wandered through. 

Faded painting spaces on walls, where people took their memories . 

Wardrobes left open and empty, people had taken their fineries. 

In a day Clock Town had become a city of ghosts. The only sounds were of their footsteps on shingles and the faint sound of battle that were never too far off. A battle that they could have joined. Perhaps it was the nature of the hero's spirit to be drawn to battle. A familiar flare of golden light struck through the sky and stopped them in their tracks. It sent a rush of cold down Wild’s spine, without thinking he stepped towards it’s direction. The light of the master sword called to them. Every so often it would be accompanied by what sounded to Wild like a primal scream. Sky or Warriors were still fighting. 

“Do you think they’re close by?” Wild asked. 

“I don’t know.” He said, “Don’t get distracted. We keep going until we reach the library. Time can join the other two out there. Probably more useful than you and me.” Twilight’s voice shook as he spoke. It was barely noticeable, and to some it could be passed off as sounding tired, but Wild knew Twilight better than that. He had seen Twilight tired, and seen him scared. He did an admirable job at hiding the latter, but his voice was always the tell. Twilight didn’t know what to do more than anyone else.

“I don’t think that’s true. Four on two is better odds either way. At the very least we can-”

“We have a job to do here. If the creature comes towards the people we find we can fight, but for now we stick to playing defense.” Twilight continued forward without a glance back. That was something he never understood about Twilight, or any of the others really. That unwavering determination to stick to the plan they set hours ago. As if things don’t change from moment to moment, as if there might not be a better way. People could be so stubbornly set in their ways, and heroes doubly so. It was at once admirable and infuriating. As Twilight walked further away from him and towards the library he got the message that the conversation was over. The path was decided. He glanced at the direction of the light of the master sword, not too far from where they were headed, and followed in Twilight’s footsteps. 

They arrived at the library not long after. When the familiar building came into view Wild breathed a little easier. The library stood tall and nearly untouched, it’s white walls and pristine columns only marred by red silk that hung across it. Three of the spider sentinels hovered around the high glass windows. They did not move or blink as they looked through the windows. In theory they should be perfect targets, but Wild found no angle could hit them in the spider’s eye itself. Wild’s adventure demanded he learn quickly, and the first lesson he had learned after stepping out of the shrine of resurrection was never strike unless you were sure you could kill with it. The other being that second chances are rare. If he were to shoot the spiders, they wouldn’t die. Worse, he would have their attention and by proxy, the wraith’s. He told Twilight as much and his friend’s face fell immediately. 

“We can go in through the roof.” Twilight suggested. “It might take a while, but we can find a way to-”

“Or…” Wild said hesitantly. “We could distract them.” Twilight looked skeptical. It wasn’t unwarranted, the more animalistic an enemy was the easier they were to distract with spare chunks of meat or an unusual sound. These things were part of something intelligent. They had a job to do, to watch the building and try to see what or who was inside and nothing would stop them. Nothing except… 

“What did you have in mind?” Twilight asked. Wild reached up and tapped the pendant that hung around Twilight’s neck. 

“I don’t think the wraith would recognize you if you were on all fours. If you got their attention and brought them here, I could take them out.” Wild couldn’t read Twilight’s face. His friend looked pensive as he turned his gaze from Wild to the street below. There was no fire or destruction strewn across the cobble stones, so it would be easy for him to run. The building they stood on, had an alley next to it that would be perfect for a large “Dog” to appear from. 

“If these things attack me-”

“They won’t. I promise you They’ll be dead before they get near you.” 

Twilight nodded. He didn’t look particularly comfortable with it, but it was quick, and with the cries of battle just beyond the sea of buildings and flames in the city square they didn’t have much time to waste. Wild met Twilight's eyes. He didn’t need to say any more. Twilight might be known to worry about him, but Wild was just as fiercely protective of him too. He gripped his friend by the shoulder, like he had done to him so many times before. A silent vow of trust. 

“All right.” Twilight sighed. “If I die, I’m haunting you though. You’ll never get rid of me and I will drive you mad.” Twilight said dryly. He moved to the right of the roof towards the alley below. His hand hovered over the dark magic crystal, the shadows inside almost reaching out to him in excitement.

“Like that would be any different from how we are now.” Wild said with a grin. Twilight grabbed the crystal and darkness enveloped him. His body twisted and curled as the shadows covered him, the crunch of bone audible even as Wild stood a few feet away from him. No matter how painful it sounded, Twilight never expressed pain in all the time Wild knew him. When the darkness was done Twilight stood tall in his wolf form. He came up to Wild’s hip but the thick coat of grey fur made him seem bigger, and more threatening than he really was. He lept down into the alley and Wild readied his bow. 

Twilight’s growl echoed off the walls of the alley. It was a deep, vicious sound that betrayed bared fangs and raised fur. Twilight stalked forward out of the alley, saliva dripped from his lips as he snapped his jaws at the creatures. Wild had never felt fear at Twilight’s wolf form. Even when they first met in the deep woods surrounded by fog and under the light of only the moon, he could tell by his eyes that he was a kind creature. Now he looked every inch a feral beast. 

The spider that stood in front of the door turned slowly as the wolf approached. Wild didn’t know what it would do, or if it would pay Twilight more than a glance. As it inched ever closer to Twilight the pupil of it’s eye narrowed into a slit. Pincers clicked, fangs bared, and in a flash the spider lunged. As it approached, Twilight moved to his left and gave him the perfect shot. His arrow flew and in an instant it was lodged in the creature's iris. Black goo fell to the ground in a puddle with a scream and a squelch. As the first one fell the other two turned slowly from the windows and towards Twilight. As soon as they saw the wolf standing over the puddle of their third member their eyes narrowed into red slits. They charged at Twilight with a hiss. Twilight kept his position as he barked madly at the spiders. Wild plucked two arrows from his quiver and drew his bow back. One breath, two, and he stepped from the ledge.

To Twilight, less than a second passed between the time Wild’s feet left the roof and the eye entinals disappeared in a pile of muck. A second later Wild landed in a crouch. 

“You make a convincing mad dog.” He said as his friend transformed back to his hylian form. 

“And you, a convincing tactician.” Twilight smiled as he spoke. Together they approached the wooden library doors.

The halls of the library were filled with silence. Wild and Twilight’s boots echoed with each step, letting anyone who might be inside know they were here. As they walked the halls of the first floor Wild took an old guardian blade out from his slate. It’s faint glow cast the rooms in blue light and illuminated empty halls and lifeless rooms. The candle sticks that reached Twilight's height had been snuffed out, but wax still ran down their sticks and had only just started to harden. Lavender scented smoke hung in the air. People were here recently and had left. Judging by the state of the chairs, tables, and blankets scattered haphazardly, they left recently. 

“Should we split up?” Wild asked. Twilight shook his head. 

“The last thing we need is to get ambushed separately. We should start with the bottom-”

“No need for that.” A familiar voice called out to them. Legend stuck his head out from the floor and Wild nearly dropped his blade in shock. “You made yourselves quite known already. Blessed by the three you two aren’t thieves. You’d starve if you were.” Legend peeled himself up from the floor with a groan. As his body shifted from paint to flesh his shoulders began to shake and tremble. Legend did not look well. The veins on his leg wound through his body and lent him a grey tone to his skin. At his side was a wind rod, his only visible weapon.

“And you are an innifective guard. Are you alone here?” Twilight looked around the room cautiously. 

“Not exactly.” Legend nodded behind them towards a grandfather clock against the wall. Mayor Sophie peaked out from behind the side of it holding an unlit candelabra in her hands like a club. She waved to them gently, her makeshift weapon still in hand. 

“I’m glad you are both all right.” She spoke so softly it was hard to hear. 

“Are any of the others here?” Wild asked as he went to Legend’s side. Legend shook his head. 

“Sky and the Captain are fighting the wraith head on. Hyrule, Wind, and Four were with them. There’s some civilians in the basement, mostly the bitten who were too delicate to move. What about you?” He turned to Wild with a tired smile. “Learn how to turn anything into a frog yet?” 

“No, but trust me you’ll be the first to know.” Legend leaned against Wild as he spoke. Wild helped Legend slowly to the floor. Legend wasn’t an intimidating man, despite his best efforts, but he seemed weaker than he ever had as he leaned his head against Wild’s shoulder. Weaker than even this morning. The warmth had been sucked from his skin and breath, Wild could feel his own body grow colder wherever he and Legend made contact. The tremble in his body was bone deep up close. Wild fetched a stamina potion from his slate, and handed it to his friend. Legend looked at it and to Wild with a kind smile, but set it aside on the marble floor. 

“Is there any way we can help?” Sophie asked. She spoke to Twilight almost like she was pleading with him. Twilight shook his head, but his eyes were locked on Wild and Legend. 

“I don’t think so. Wild and I will stay here and get the sick through the night. The witches can’t help us, but Koume had some advice. Cut the wraith off at the source.” Sophie nodded solemnly. 

“That might be impossible my friend.” She shook her head slowly and stepped closer to Legend’s side. Twilight watched her go.

“Why would that be-” A flash of blue light shot through the room like lightning, and the ground shook beneath them. The wailing sound Wild and Twilight had heard before was closer, clearer. It sounded like a woman’s scream. 

“Hold it! Hold it back Captain!” It was Sky’s voice. His scream was distant and far more course than Wild was used to. He had been yelling and screaming for hours now, every word was raw. Something shook the ground again, followed by another scream. They were close. Wild helped Legend stand, with Legend leaning against his shoulder almost entirely. 

“Get to the basement!” Twilight said in full command. He drew his blade and ran towards the front door. Wild wanted to call out to him, to run out the door, but Twilight’s command didn’t just apply to the injured and the civilian. The mayor joined Wild and Legend, her candelabra in hand. She didn’t look afraid, did not cower behind him, instead she took Wild by the hand and guided the two heroes to the hall that led to the staircase. They descended slowly, blind except for the light of the Guardian Blade. Wild squeezed her hand as she guided them down the stone spiral and towards the basement. The screams of the wraith grew fainter but never disappeared. It’s wail pierced the stone and brick even when they could no longer hear Sky, or Warriors, or Twilight. A hylian scream couldn’t penetrate the building when they were this deep. That’s what Wild told himself with each step. They were fighting, doing their part, and he was doing his. Still, the further he got from the fight the more worry seeped into his thoughts.

Warrior is fine, he told himself as the ground rattled. 

Sky is fine, he told himself as the smell of smoke on his clothing filled his nose.

Twilight is fine, he told himself because he wouldn’t dare let himself think otherwise. 

“Wild?” Legend’s voice shook him from his thoughts. “You okay? You look a little off.” Wild nodded quickly. He didn’t want Legend worrying about him, especially since his friend was the one with an injury. Legend was the one with real problems.

“Yeah, It’s just hard not to be distracted.” Wild raised his free hand to the wall. Little vibrations could be felt as the ground above shook to the rhythm of the fight. A faint crash, a violent shudder, a pause, repeat. Slowly, he curled his fingers into a fist against the stone.

“You can join them.” Sophie gently placed a hand on his shoulder. It wasn’t like the rough claps Time or Twilight doled out with their touch. She was cautious, but warm. Motherly almost. “If you’re worried for them then go. Leaving may be for the best anyway. I don’t know if any healing can be done anymore. If you are a warrior, I don’t wish to keep you tied to lost causes.” 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence lady.” Legend crossed his arms as he grumbled. 

“That’s not what I…” She shook her head with a sigh. 

“I know. To be honest, I don’t know what I can do. I don’t have any way to fight a swarm. When I asked about doing magic Koume laughed in my face. I suppose lost causes are the best fit for me.” Legend pulled away from Wild slightly, trying to look his friend in the face.

“You’re in luck about the swarm. It consolidated into something else this time around.” Wild looked at him in confusion.

“It’s what?”

“It looks more like a person than a mass of arachnids now. It’s not as big as before.” The mayor said. Wild’s heart picked up in his chest. That was why he and Twilight couldn’t see it from the rooftops. He had defeated bigger. Moldugas, Blights, even the Dragons he could wound with enough arrows and a stubborn determination. 

“It’s stronger now.” The mayor urged, “The first thing it did at sundown was rip through the city hall.”

“Lady, that’s not going to make him want to stay.” Legend said dryly. Wild looked to Sophie who merely smiled sadly. 

“I know.” She said. This must be so far beyond her. Wild had never seen anything like this, even on his year long quest to defeat the Calamity. For a regular person to see their home in such a state must be painful, but Sophie kept her head about her. The ground shook and she marched forward undaunted. The air grew heavy with smoke, and rot and she kept breathing. She was dressed in torn silk and soft frills, but she carried herself as if she were made of steel. He handed her the Guardian Blade, and pulled away from Legend. 

“Can I trust you to keep my friends safe?” He asked. She nodded. Legend rolled his eyes at both of them. He fought through a grimace just to stand tall and walk in front of them.

“I’m not exactly a pile of chopped liver. Yet.” He brought his Wind rod up to Wild’s face. “I’ve lived through worse. You have to fight through three more adventures before you get to worry about me, up start.” Legend didn’t face him, but he could hear the smile in his voice. Wild smiled as Legend descended the stairs, Sophie right behind him. When the light of the blade disappeared and he was left in the dark, he turned around and charged towards the Library doors. 

When Wild got to the entrance of the Library, he could hear the chaos from outside. Metal chains rattled against itself, blades squelched as they ripped through flesh, and the yells of his companions mixed together. Wild opened the door and dropped into a crouch. When he stepped further out and saw the city streets any plan he might have had fell out of his head. 

The wraith was smaller in number, but the wraith itself was still as tall as five men. Instead of a writhing mass of thousands, there was a single creature before him. It could only be described as unholy. A mess of bone, and flesh and pure chaos sewn together and brought to life. Wild ducked behind a tall pillar on the library porch, one eye on the creature as he climbed up. The wraith was at the corner where the street met the grounds of the library, It’s form hunched over as it swatted at a small figure in green. 

“This… does not… concern you.” The wraith spoke. It was a hollow sound. It spoke like someone who had breathed in smoke for too long, a voice torn apart and never recovered. An arm swiped at the figure in front of it. Sky narrowly leapt out of the way, and the thunderous crash filled the street. Cobblestones from the street flew from the impact of its strike. Sky raised his shield as the stone rained down on him. A massive morningstar on a chain wrapped around it’s arm and slammed it down on the street. A deafening wail left the creature’s mouth. 

“Grab the other arm! The one that keeps hitting me!” Sky yelled. Warriors yanked the Morningstar chain and pulled the creature back. 

“I only have two hands!” He yelled back. “You want to trade places?” Warriors dug his feet into the ground and pulled, the chain of the morningstar went taught. The Captain was red in the face, each breath in his body going into holding the wraith in place. An arrow struck the creature's boney back and exploded on impact. 

“Push it back to the street!” Twilight shouted. The wraith used it’s other arm to pull at the chain around it. Wild hurried up to the roof, one eye on the creature and each jump revealing more and more of it. It’s torso dripped with dark red liquid, the excess oozed from its fleshy arms and half formed chest. Smatterings of it rained through the still open rib cage. Its body hovered off the ground, the same ooze that gave it a form swirled like a storm under its torso. Wide bands of ooze spiraled out from its waist and whipped the wind and lashed at the ground. Sparks of fire flew from each band and set the drops of ink and street debris ablaze. Wild couldn’t see its face, but the top of its head was occupied by the twitching, clicking mandibles of a spider’s face. Long needle-like legs rose from its scalp like a crown, all of them writhed at the sky, like it was in pain. A wicked, sharp laugh cut through all other noise. 

“I’m growing tired of these games, children. I don’t want your blood on my hands, but you’re making it hard to avoid.” The wraith grabbed the chain around it’s wrist. Warriors struggled to keep his place, his eyes livid as it pulled him inch by inch towards itself. Wild wasted no time. He grabbed his Lynel Bow from his slate, the last one he had, and drew it back with a single bomb arrow. He let it fly through the air with a sharp whistle, and it crashed into its target with a thunderous cry. The wraith’s back exploded, a blast of red fire peeled the pink flesh colored slime of it’s back open, and left the spine exposed. The wraith screamed and staggered towards Warriors, the tension in the chains fell slack and his companion stumbled forward. Sky and Twilight looked to where Wild stood on the roof, his hair loose and flying through the wind as he readied another arrow. Slowly, the wraith raised its head to meet him. Wild lowered his bow as an all too human face met his. 

The wraith had been burned. Not from the flames of the bomb arrows or from it’s own fiery wake, no, these were old burn scars that healed long ago. And they healed poorly. A woman’s face had been carved by flame, the skin curled and shriveled. Her lips had been completely removed, only a gaping hole with charred teeth remained. The only part of her that hadn't been damaged were her eyes. The moment those eyes saw Wild her face twisted into a bastardized smile. 

“The little witchling from before.” She mused softly. “I see you’ve learned nothing since we last met.” She leaned forward to look Wild in the eye, but a yank from the morning star pulled her back. Despite himself, Wild’s heart clenched as the wraith grunted in pain. Warriors arms shook and he stumbled forward, but he was at the end of his line. The wraith had the momentum back. 

“Wild, take another shot.” Sky’s voice cut through the night. Wild lined up his bow with a second arrow. This time it pierced the Wraith's torso and detonated between her ribs. The Wraith gasped but that soon gave way to cruel laughter. 

“Wild. What a fitting name, untamed and free. Do not waste your life defending these wretched people.” She said as she rose further from the ground. Warriors struggled to keep her down but the chain slipped further and further from him. “They will only take what they need and destroy you when they are done.” She pulled the chain and sent Warriors flying. The dear captain rolled across the street and thrust a sword into the side of a building to steady himself. The morning star and chain around the wraith’s arm slid to the ground with a thud. Wild shuddered as the wraith turned her attention solely to him. Wild shot an arrow to her head, but with a flick of her hand the wraith shooed it away as if it were a troublesome pest. The explosion sounded distant, another addition to the flames of Clock Town that dyed the night sky red. He needed to move, to get off the roof, but under the gaze of the wraith he was paralyzed. She was amused by him, fascinated, and as she lumbered closer and closer she left him no place to go. 

“Will you run away little one?” She crooned, “You were so brave to defend your holy friend last night. Show me what you’re willing to do to defend yourself.” She reached for him with one charred hand, ink dripped off her long fingers and into puddles below. All Wild could do was breath. Suddenly he was falling. The world had bottomed out from beneath him and a familiar golden light at the edge of his vision made his stomach churn. _ Please, _ he thought, _ Not now. _

A bolt caught her under the eye. More of the blood that ran through her body poured out of the wound. Twilight stood defiant with a crossbow in hand and rage in his eyes. The wraith plucked the crossbow bolt from her face and let it drop pitifully to the ground. 

“Disgusting beast.” She hissed at Twilight. A whiplike tendril wreathed in flame lashed at Twilight. He jumped to the right and rolled, narrowly avoiding the flame. Wild summoned a rusted broadsword from his slate, swallowed a hard breath of air and jumped off the roof. He hit the ground running and set off to where Twilight stood. Twilight took another shot at the wraith but if it hit or not he couldn’t tell, and it didn't deter her. Her hand grabbed Wild by the back of the shirt with more gentle pressure than her form would betray. She held him at eye level with her, inspected him like he was an unusual trinket she hadn't yet formed an opinion on. 

“You’re a strange one. A witch who travels with a half fairy and a beast in human form? It’s almost comical.” She turned him slowly in her hand. He could hear Twilight and Sky screaming for him somewhere, but the wraith’s voice commanded his attention above all else. Wild fumbled for a weapon, kicked and clawed at the wraith fighting anyway he could. He refused to give into helplessness. He closed his eyes and thought of the wraith disintegrating, tried to feel for that blue light from the night before. Koume said magic is born of will, and Wild was nothing if not willful.

“Are you trying to cast a spell?” The wraith asked with a cruel laugh, “A foolish action, but at least your foolishness is amusing.”

“I did it before.” Wild said as he dug his hands into the skin of her arm, “I can find it again, that light. I-”

“You are uninitiated,” She barked, “Untrained, and this time you do not have the laws of magic to help bolster you.” Wild kept his face calm, but his mind raced. What laws? What did he do that could bolster him, he didn't even know he could use magic last night. “A witch can not harm a witch. That is an old law of magic. This time I have broken no such law.” She lifted her other finger to his chest, the tip of her clawed finger against his heart. “But you? You have harmed me quite a bit tonight, and that always carries consequence.” A vivid red light spiraled around her hand and down her finger tips. The embers of her magic filled Wild’s chest. Everything in his vision was lost to red hot flame as he was set ablaze. 

The wraith dropped him after she was done. If he hit the stone or not he couldn’t tell, all he could feel was the bite of flame that ate at him from the inside. Was he screaming? Was he shaking? He couldn’t feel his body, only a mass of pain that spiraled deeper and deeper into itself. It filled him completely and hollowed him out. His vision blurred, from pain or tears he couldn’t tell, as the form of the wraith drifted away from him. 

“Wild!” Twilight’s voice sounded so distant, so worried. Why was his voice shaking? Why was he running to him, the wraith was still on the move. 

“Twi!” He gasped weakly, “You have to stop it.” 

“I’m not leaving you like this.” Twilight reached for Wild’s hand, and he snatched it away. Wild rolled to his side. He couldn’t look at Twilight, he didn’t want to see his friends face or let him get too close.

“I’m burning.” His body sundered as he tried to crawl away from Twilight's reach. “You can’t…” Twilight shook his head. 

“You’re not burning, You're going to be okay.” Twilight could barely be heard. Stone crashed to the ground and a swell of wind nearly swallowed them. The air was thick with smoke and charred paper. Screams and the crashing of brick on to the street smothered everything else. Twilight’s arms were around him and Wild ground his teeth as his skin seared away. Black spots appeared at his vision. Perhaps he was dying. Time would be so upset with him for that. Twilight lifted his chin and poured something liquid and bitter down his throat. The flame in his body did not die. The world faded slowly, gently, and he leaned into Twilight as it went. Out of the corner of his eye the wraith stood victorious, her laugh rang with the fire almost as one. In it’s fist held aloft to the sky, Mayor Sophie struggled and kicked pointlessly. There was no escape. The wraith melted into a pool of shadow as Wild’s vision darkened. The world became silent, but the flame reamined. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wanted to post this several weeks ago, but due to personal life complications and the growing movement for racial justice in America, I felt that it would be better to delay this chapter to focus on more important things. As a multiracial person with black heritage the last few weeks have been full of pain but also hope. People are speaking out and doing what they can to make justice a reality, and I would love for those reading to do the same. I will include links to some organizations focused on the black community, and the black trans community in particular, and In the hopes that you will donate if you can or find valuable education resources. 
> 
> https://www.naacpldf.org
> 
> https://blacktrans.org
> 
> https://centerforblackequity.org
> 
> I love you guys, and I hope you stay safe and speak up.


	11. Discussing the Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind survived the attack on Clock Town, but he's not the only one hurting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's been a while. First of all Thank you SO MUCH for 5000 views! I'm so glad people continue to read this even though I'm such a slow writer. It really drives me to make things as interesting as possible and to constantly improve my writing. Thank you for all the kudos and comments. Talking with everyone absolutely brightens my day. I love hearing from people even if it's just to correct my grammar. This chapter was surprisingly hard to write because it was really just an exploration of the aftermath. I wrote it all resolving nicely and then realized that everyone has different ideas of what happened and that became more interesting. So this is how Wind is handling things. He needs a hug.

The world put itself back together in fits and starts. Wind could feel something rough and wooden against his cheek one second, and drift into a numbness the next. His fingers curled and stung, nails pressed against raw and sensitive palms, but somehow it felt like they belonged to someone else. It wasn’t his body that was riddled with a dull pain that bruised him down to his bones, his mind whispered.

Go to sleep. 

Sleep and forget.

It’s natural to want to escape pain. That is human. It is also natural for the hero's spirit to resist what is easy, to feel the pain that fills the body and soul and use it as a reminder to keep fighting forward. As Wind cracked his eyes open into the cruel light of day (by The Three, how long had he been unconscious?) a throb of pain filled his cheeks. Had he been slapped during the fight? He didn’t remember, and certainly if the wraith had slapped him, he would be missing his head from the rest of him right now. Yet he could still wiggle his fingers and toes, his heart still beat audibly in his ears, and everything felt like it was attached where it should be. As his vision of the world sharpened and the gray and brown shades of the world turned into the jagged wreckage of a building, his memory clicked together. 

That monster brought a house down on him. Irony of irony. The roof above him was cut almost perfectly in half. Wind couldn’t tell if this was a home, a shop, or something else, but now it was gutted in half and reduced to a canopy for him to rest beneath. He was propped up against a pile of debris covered in a large blanket and a few pillows that had seen better days. Neither were clean, the faded green colors now dyed with dirt and blood. He didn’t remember getting them. How he even came here was a mystery too. 

With a groan he sat forward, and immediately regretted it. His stiff body curled in on itself, pain in his right side flared up like a shock. His right side as a whole seemed to be worse off. 

_ That’s probably the side I landed on,  _ he thought as he moved his right arm slowly over his ribs and chest. The fact that he could even move the arm and it wasn’t broken was a miracle on it’s own.  _ No breaks. Lots of bruises, and I'm missing more skin than I like, but all the bones are intact, by fate’s pity alone, it seems.  _ Wind felt at his side and chest a strange stiffness. It felt like a solid layer of gauze. Gently, he lifted his shirt up and over his head, a process that was more belabored and difficult than necessary when his whole body resisted any movement at all. A messy, hastily applied bandage wrapped around his middle. They weren't very tight, nore were they by any stretch of the imagination applied professionally. It looked like someone had just rolled them around his body like the bandages were scarves. There was even a sloppy bow tying two ends together. 

“Oh, you’re up!” Hyrule’s voice cut through the silence. He made his way from behind the debris and through the hole in the right side of the building. He looked better than Wind probably did, but that wasn’t saying much. His body was damp with sweat and grime, he sported a few bruises on his own face, and a cut lip, but through it all Hyrule still had a lopsided smile and sharp eyes. 

“I was starting to think I’d have to drag you across the town if you stayed like that any longer. Maybe fold you into a blanket.”

“Yeah,” Wind croaked, mouth and throat much drier than he had even realized. “Next time I get a building thrown on me I’ll be sure to only be out for an hour.” 

“Technically you were thrown off the building. It collapsed later.” Hyrule said as he sat next to Wind, a flask of water extended out to him. Wind took it immediately.

“Since when do you care for details?” Wind grumbled before taking a long drink. Water was warm and he could taste the traces of dirt in it, but it would do. Wind had certainly had worse. He passed it back to Hyrule with a decent amount left in there. They may be in a town with running water, but there was still a weight in the air that felt like they were in a war zone. It showed itself in the silence on the streets. In the wood and rubble that poked into his back. In the smell of smoke and brimstone that covered the town like a fog. He wasn’t a fool

“So, what happened after I passed out?” 

Hyrule’s smile fell. No pretense and no falsehoods in his face or eyes, just the deathly seriousness of loss. Wind had seen that look on his friends face rarely, but as he reported the news of their defeat in a calm and even toned voice he could feel the change in him. Families forced from their homes, the mayor being snatched away, and nearly losing Wild had brought out anger that could not be hidden. It came through in the eyes, Wind thought. 

“After the wraith disappeared I found Time. He was mostly helping find people who weren’t lucky enough to get to the library. He managed to cut through a bunch of Spider sentinels too. For such an old guy he really knows how to cut down an enemy pretty quick.”

“Not quick enough.” Wind said under his breath as he stood up. His legs shook and he stumbled forward, his body strained against his will. He caught the edge of the pile he had been resting against and steadied himself. Hyrule stood back as he struggled, and watched with arms crossed in front of him. 

“I don’t suppose you could help with this situation.” Wind gestured to himself. “Work some fairy magic on me?” Not that Wind had any idea how that worked. None of the fairies in his world were big on elaborate spells of any kind, nor were they fond of people. Hyrule snorted, though the amusement did not seem real. 

“Unfortunately, I can’t. Not even if I wanted to.” Hyrule said as he clutched the bag at his side, now slightly smaller than it had been the day before. Hyrule walked next to Wind, and pulled his friend to his side. Wind’s arm around Hyrule’s back and Hyrule’s arm supported Wind’s torso. “Can’t heal anyone but myself I’m afraid. What I can do is fairly limited, and mostly for combat. Best way to handle a stab wound is to just fry your enemy and not get stabbed at all.” 

“No offense, but that’s shit advice.” Wind teased even as he wheezed a laugh. 

“I’ll have you know I’m at least wise enough to use the full triforce in my time.”

“Your triforce was asleep for centuries, it was confused.” 

They fell back into the same routine with ease. A tease, a jab, a clever joke if they could manage it. It eased the pain in the body, and quieted the pain of the mind. Still, the smile never seemed to reach Hyrule’s eyes. Probably looked just as fake on himself too, Wind thought. Losing never sat well with the hero's spirit. As they stepped through the building and on to the street, the fragile sense of calm fell away. 

In the light of day the rubble of Clock Town looked worse. Not because there was more damage to see but because the sunlight made it almost feel normal. The sky did not darken for the town. The world did not notice that anything had changed. It filled Wind’s chest with a gnawing dread. The path they walked so easily yesterday was now full of cracks and overturned cobble stones. Dust and wisps of smoke clung to the sides of the buildings. Every few houses Wind could spot a red colored crust along the walls. It was likely from the pustules that the spiders crawled out of. He told himself that was the truth. 

“Where are we going?”, Wind asked softly. He probably should have asked sooner but at the same time it felt unimportant. There were other things to think about. More important things. 

“I’m taking you to see a real healer. You might have to wait though, she’s still seeing someone.” Hyrule didn’t look at him as he spoke. He kept his eyes straight ahead and his footsteps even. 

They made it to their destination in good time. It helped that there were no people out. The streets were filled with silence only. A day ago they walked through the west side of the Clock Town, but that time felt strangely distant. Hyrule led him to the lair of the Great Fairy. The area surrounding it had been undamaged, barely a single leaf out of place. Still, there was a chill in the air that only made the weight in his stomach grow heavier. The cavern was aglow with the pale blue light of the fountain. Wind could almost see the waves and ripples of the water on the dark gray stone, and on a familiar figure. Twilight stood before the edge of the fountain and peered inside. His eyes were heavy and his shoulders tense. Had he even slept? Then again, why would he? If Wind hadn’t dropped off a roof he probably wouldn’t either. His footsteps echoed off the damp rock floor, each step deliberately heavy. Twilight glanced back listlessly and greeted them with a smile. It didn’t quite meet his eyes. Wind only had to glance into the water to see why. 

Wild floated in the center of the pool, as still and pale as death. His golden hair was free of it’s ponytail and splayed out like a halo around him. Water covered his bare chest, and the ripples in the water moved in time to his shallow breath. It moved like a rhythm. In, one, two, three, and out. He had never seen Wild so still and silent. One of the things Wind respected most about his fellow hero was his sponinatity. His restless spirit. Wild would be the one who threw himself into joy so easily, he would drag Wind with him. From their shared love of korok leaf gusts to memorable nights in the Zora domain of Wild’s world, where they jumped off cliff sides. Wild was a creature meant for movement. Death did not become him. 

And yet, death is a constant. Hero's can fight and struggle for glory and justice all they want, in the end all of them would be fated to meet the inevitable. It hovered like a specter throughout Wind’s life. Death was so all consuming that both his own parents left him for its embrace. They fell for it so deeply he didn’t have bodies to say goodbye too. They fell beneath the waves, like so many in his life seem to do. But Wild was breathing. He floated to the top like living people do. He wouldn’t sink to the bottom like stone corpses. 

“It’s good to see you up, Wind.” Twilight greeted him, tired and raw. He had almost forgotten Twilight was there. Had he been standing there silently for a long time? Or where Wind’s own thoughts playing tricks with time? Wind should have said something back, but no words would come to him that would be easy to say. 

“Have you seen Time or Warriors?” Hyrule asked. 

“Not recently. They’re working on moving the…” Twilight’s eyes darted to Wind for a moment. “Well, they have their own work to do.”

They fell into a comfortable silence. Wind could tell Twilight was not in the mood for conversation. No one really was. Despite what Twilight and the others often thought of him, Wind was good at reading people. It probably helped that his life was the closest to normal of any of them. Growing up in a village, he knew the look that older people had when they’re afraid and didn’t want to show it. They would fall silent because it kept them from saying something painful. Some would avoid looking kids in the eye out of shame. Twilight was a little like that. He withdrew from everyone, stayed virtually alone in a cave beneath the earth and focused on someone else. Everyone thought Twilight was a tad protective of the younger hero's because he was selfless. Like most adults, Wind figured he was really trying to protect his own heart. He looked away from all of them, pretending to take in the fairy fountain he had been in for hours. He was just as lost as any of them.

The light of the pool died slowly. Like embers fade as a cool wind saps the heat from them, the blue light of the Great Fairy’s magic dimmed. Soon, Wild was afloat in a normal looking pool. His eyes flickered open slowly. His breath became deeper, his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Wild woke up in the water as if it were any other bed. 

“You’re okay…” He croaked. Wind winced at how raw he sounded. 

“Of Course dork.” Twilight sighed. “None of us got hexed last night.” 

Wild didn’t respond. He righted himself and walked to the edge of the pool. It wasn’t very deep after all. Still, Wild walked far more stifly than Wind had seen before. It was not the kind of movement born of pain, or at least not bodily pain. He walked with a slow gate. The usual swiftness in his steps had turned languid and stilted. It wasn’t something the others seemed to pick up on. Twilight and Hyrule were at his side immediately, but Wild refused every offered hand or gentle touch. 

“Where are my clothes?” Wild whispered. 

“Your tunic is over there.” Twilight pointed to the corner of the cove. The blue Champions Tunic sat near the wall, folded and waiting. Wild pushed his way past them. He barely acknowledged they were there. 

“Are you okay Wild?” 

Wild paused for a moment. 

“I’m not in pain if that’s your concern.” He said without even a glance. “What did you mean I was hexed?” 

“That’s what the great fairy told me.” Twilight stepped forward carefully as if Wild would be startled by him. “I brought you here after… well, after I thought you were gone. She told me you were… that you would feel like you were burning alive. The great fairy kept the pain minimal while it wore off.” Twilight spoke carefully, watching how Wild reacted to each word. Or rather, his lack of a reaction. Wild looked at them coldly, his face unchanged by the details. 

“Did she say anything else?” 

“No.” Twilight shook his head. “She just-”

“Why didn’t you ask her? If she knew something about this creature's powers and how to fight them, then we could prepare for the next fight.” Wild said coldly. Twilight was so visibly taken aback that Wind almost laughed. 

“I wasn’t really concerned with anything other than making sure you were breathing.” Wind could almost feel the pain in Twilight’s voice. Twilight was a loyal man, he would gladly fight an army for each of his brothers in arms. 

“I appreciate that. Now that I’m breathing we need to wake the fairy for help, because we really need it.” 

“We spoke to her yesterday. Before the attack.” Wind said. “She wasn’t very helpful. She didn’t know how to defeat it. Just that it was not natural, and that it was, um, Already dead.”

A chill rolled it’s way through the room. Wind could hear Twilight’s breath catch in his throat and felt the discomfort that passed between the three of them. Wild did not react. 

“That makes sense.” He murmured, “It, or rather she, died here. Or was killed.” 

“She? Wait, are you talking about the wraith?” 

Wild didn’t bother to look at them. 

“It did speak, during the fight.” Twilight murmured, though he didn’t sound certain. “When it attacked Wild it was definitely trying to say something. Though I’m not sure what.” He cast a glance towards Wild. An unspoken question hung in the air. 

“She said we couldn’t stop her. That this is a revenge long overdue.” He labored as he spoke, the words were difficult to speak aloud. “We’re not dealing with monsters. This is a person. This is a personal vendetta against this town.” With each word Wind felt a nasty, unpleasant heat rise beneath his skin. The implication couldn’t be missed. Twilight and Hyrule must have reached similar conclusions. Twilight’s fists dug into his palm. 

“The wraith isn’t just dead, she was murdered.” Hyrule said, almost breathless. “You think there’s a murderer in Clock Town?”

The first traces of emotion graced Wild’s face. His mouth a tight grimace, wordless, as his eyes roved over each of them. He liked the thought of dealing with a murderer as much as any of them. The world of prophesied heroes was one with clear cut lines. They were the embodiment of good created to fight a singular evil. Some of them didn’t even have to kill, merely seal Ganon away. Now they had stepped off the shore line and into the deep. 

“The Mayor.” Twilight whispered. In the silence of the cove the words were thunder. “She’s the one the wraith took. You don’t think she…” 

“I’m not saying that.” Wild said delicately, “But the wraith  _ told  _ me. She said… she said that we don’t understand anything yet. That we haven't learned anything.” 

“What’s there to learn?” Wind groaned. “We keep trying to figure things out, but it never seems to work. We asked around and so far all we know is we have an angry, vengeful spirit who may have been murdered and no way to deal with it!” 

“There’s always a way to deal with it.” Twilight said, “we just need to figure it out. Like any puzzle, there is always a solution.” 

“The solution the fairy gave us was to talk to the witches. We all know how that turned out. They’re not going to help us.” 

“A wraith is born of witch’s magic.” Hyrule whispered. Wind and Twilight ceased their bickering. Wild still hadn't gotten any closer to the group, but they could feel his attention on them. “Whatever brought the wraith here was a witch. A wraith isn’t natural. Someone had to create it with a specific type of magic.”

“Someone like me.” All eyes were on Wild. He stood against the wall, eyes wide. He looked like a lost creature brought in from the rain, unsure of where he was. It was odd for such a normally headstrong person. 

“I suppose that would be the case. Do you think a witch murdered someone?” Hyrule was cautious as he spoke. Though if it was for Wild’s sake or his own, Wind couldn’t tell. Hyrule always had a cautiousness about him when it came to killing. Not the type of caution that came with ignorance on the subject either. His hand always twitched for his sword. 

“I don’t- I mean, I don’t know. Not for sure.” Wild leaned back against the wall as he spoke. Shadows from the cave wall fell across his face and deepened the circles under his eyes and scars along his face. “That’s the problem. We went into this thinking we were dealing with a monster, but it’s more than that. Whatever magic brought her here, it has something to do with this town and how she died.”

It all made sense. It always does. The facts fit together like pieces of a machine, they were cold and difficult to handle but they made sense together. The what and why of their reality had been solved. There was a murder, a lust for vengeance, and a witch’s magic. It made sense, but it didn’t feel right. It was a feeling that sat squarely in his chest and pulled at him. It spurred questions; who was killed? What breaks this spell? But most importantly,

“What do we do now?” Wind asked Wild. He wandered towards Wild, not so much to speak to him personally but so everyone could see him. “We can’t just sit here and play detective. We went around trying to piece things together yesterday and now Mayor Sophie has been kidnapped. It’s great that we know this now, but what do we actually do?”

“I- I don’t know. I was thinking if we learn what her- or what happened-” 

“And what if Mayor Sophie dies by the time we have all that information? It’s useless.” Wild flinched at Wind’s words. Not noticeably, just the twitch of his mouth and a quick look of anger in his eyes that was gone before even Wild himself noticed it. Wind had argued with Wild enough to know the phases of his emotions no matter how well he tried to hide it. He would try to play like he was in control, but he would stew in his feelings until he had had enough. 

“What are we supposed to do, track down the wraith with no plan? That’s how the last two days have gone and we’re lucky to be alive.” Wild’s words echoed off the walls louder than he intended. His voice was slightly raised but had no real inflection. He was so guarded. “Besides, the way the wraith spoke to me it seems like she  _ wants _ me to learn something.” 

“So we’re just going to do what dead people tell us to do now?” 

“You guys, calm down.” Hyrule pulled Wind back gently by the collar of his shirt. “The last couple days have been stressful but we don’t have to get short with each other.” To be fair, Wind is short with everyone except Four. “When it comes to magic things can get complicated. It helps to know what you’re up against. It might also be worth asking though, why she wants you to learn more about magic?” Wild would not meet Hyrule’s gaze. Hyrule, the gentlest soul amongst them. Instead he offered only the appearance of his attention, he faced them but his eyes were distant. He looked right past them. 

“Wouldn’t you want someone to know, if you were murdered, what happened to you?”

“If I’m killed it will be in defence of my Queen. Everyone would know my story.” Hyrule said as if it were natural to think of your death that way. 

“Well most of us will die with no story at all. Maybe that’s all she wants.”

“It seemed like she wanted more vengeance than justice.” Twilight added. Wind had almost forgotten he was there. 

“Exactly.” Hyrule nodded his head sagely, “If she were murdered by a witch, why would she want anything to do with you?” 

“I don’t have all the answers.” Wild nearly whispered, “But I feel like I need to know more about her and her story. Shouldn’t we know more about what’s caused this before we act?” 

Wild was not a man with a loud voice. In fact, it was quite soft in it’s natural register. But somehow he was all consuming when he spoke passionately. Even when that passion was laced with anger. There was the final phase of any argument with Wild. The facade of the stoic knight broke away to a teenager just four (biological) years older than Wind. Wild didn’t seem to notice him though. He was more concerned with Hyrule. Why Wild spoke to Hyrule like he needed the man’s permission, Wind would never know. From what the great fairy said, their magic and the type Wild could do were different. Still, he stood there with wide eyes begging for something from them. Wind regarded him with a kind of sadness. Hyrule was more stoic.

“If you look into this and you don’t like what you see, what are you prepared to do about it?” A crack in Wild’s perfect mask appeared. 

“I- what do you mean?” Wild frowned. “I’m not going to let people die if that’s-”

“You said it yourself. Someone like you put a spell on this lost soul, are you willing to break it? Magic always comes with a cost, a bargain to be struck. I don’t know how different our types of magic will be but I know that one universal constant. Are you willing to really be a witch?”

Wild seemed to sit with Hyrule’s words. If not to answer his friend’s question, then to answer something else in his head. 

“Magic comes with a cost...” Wild murmured to himself as he walked away from the three of them and towards the cove exit. His face betrayed nothing as he left them, lost in his own mind and feelings. 

“Wild.” Twilight called after him, “Promise me you’ll take some time to rest. I don’t- just let me know you won’t dive head first into this.” Wild turned to look back at Twilight, the smallest traces of regret and sorrow in his eyes. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but don’t worry. I just need some time to think.” His soft smile was meant to be a reassurance, a promise to take things slow. They all knew it was a promise he would never keep. Wild walked out of that cove, and suddenly it felt smaller. 

Wind cursed him in his thoughts. He only did so because cursing him out loud would never get past Twilight. When Wild decided he knew better than someone he could be one of the most frustrating people to deal with. On any other day Wind would call after him, push him to talk about things, even if it was just about how he felt. But honestly, who had the energy? He wasn’t the only one hurting, and Wind had his own wounds to tend to. The idea of a murderous witch out there who could turn people into monsters did not sit well with him. 

“There’s something going on with him.” Wind shrugged off the coat around his shoulders as he spoke. “I don’t know if it’s because he’s hurting or scared, but he’s going to face it in his own way.” It all made Wind feel old. He had been old for a few years now, but he hated being reminded of it. He unwound the bandages from his belly. Dried blood crusted his side, the wound still a bright red. A sickly sweet smell of dead skin wafted from it. Yes, he was far too old for this. 

“Want some help getting into the fairy pool?” Hyrule rested a hand on his shoulder. Wind shook his head. 

“I’m fine.” Wind murmured as he walked to the edge of the pool. Gently, he lowered himself in. Light in the center began to ripple through the pond. Wind lay on his back as the water grew warmer and his body was riddled with a pleasant prickle. To the side, he could see Twilight and Hyrule talking in low tones. They were too far to hear. He didn’t really want to hear it. He closed his eyes and pretended he wasn’t in a cave in a strange town, hundreds of years in the past. There was no wraith. No murderers. No witchery to be found. Just the gentle waves of the ocean he grew up in. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more resources for those interested in keeping up the fight! If you're 18+ in America please register to vote and request a ballot if your state allows any reason for mail in ballots. Be sure to vote in November. 
> 
> https://transformharm.org
> 
> https://www.naacpldf.org/about-us/
> 
> https://www.aclu.org
> 
> https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/


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